NASA has ordered 30 of Panasonic's AK-HC900 compact high definition progressive scan cameras to capture the space shuttle's return in May.
A total of 27 AK-HC900s are slated to be used at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida during the space shuttle’s launch.
AK-HC900s will be positioned in the launch pad system (at two launch pads) in shielded enclosures close to the orbiter, to provide NASA with real-time high definition images of the launch for scientific image analysis, range safety and vehicle status assessment. When fully implemented, each launch pad will utilize five AK-HC900s and three cameras will be back-ups.
Fourteen AK-HC900s, equipped with specialized long focal length optics, will be utilized in the non-pad systems and will be positioned on the perimeter of the Kennedy Space Center to track the ascent of the Discovery space shuttle. These AK-HC900s will provide real-time high definition images for mission flight analysis during the critical first three minutes of the orbiter’s ascent.
In addition, to meet NASA’s need for additional high altitude views of the shuttle’s ascent, specially designed gyro-stabilized optics will be used in conjunction with the AK-HC900s and integrated into the nose sections of high altitude research airplanes. This system was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL. The AK-HC900s in the “in-the-nose” video system will provide “above the clouds” high quality, high definition video from high altitude, providing ascent imagery from 60,000 feet to near Earth orbit.
The 3.9-pound AK-HC900 provides astounding color reproduction accuracy and its compact size opens new avenues for high-definition sports coverage, television program production, business communications, and government and scientific imaging. The AK-HC900 offers a 720-line high definition output at 60 progressive frames per second. The camera employs three 2/3″ 1 million-pixel (1280 x 720) IT CCDs with dramatically improved dark and highlight image quality.
