NASA is
giving Earth folk a new view of their home planet in high-definition (HD), as
seen through the eyes of astronauts of past shuttle and International Space
Station missions.
The
hour-long special includes crisp views of Earth's oceans and continents that
only astronauts have been privy to while floating in orbit.
NASA aired
the HD broadcast on NASA TV early Friday as a silent film of serene Earth
views. A replay is scheduled for the same time on Monday, and will air all day
long from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. EDT (1000-1200 GMT) on
April 22. The replays include a discussion of the Earth views by Justin
Wilkinson, a scientist with the Crew Earth Observations Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The footage
will also run on standard NASA TV during regularly scheduled Video File
broadcasts.
The
astronaut-shot Earth views mark the latest in a series of efforts to view space
in high-definition video, whether looking at Earth, the moon or spacecraft
interiors.
Japan's Kaguya
lunar orbiter captured HD
video of Earth-rise while orbiting the moon on April 5, and Japan's tour bus-sized Kibo laboratory on
the International Space Station will also host an HD camera once it is
completely assembled. The Kibo lab's large pressurized segment is slated for
launch in late May aboard a NASA shuttle.
The
Discovery Channel also plans on airing a miniseries
this year featuring never-before-seen footage of NASA missions restored in high-definition.
Click here for a button to access NASA TV
feed on SPACE.com's ISS mission updates.
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