Sen Launched 4K Video Cameras Into Space. Here's What They Saw.
New video views of Earth show our planet in stunning high-definition, courtesy of a newly-launched 4K video-streaming platform.
The new platform, from British company Sen, features six video cameras in space. Two can be steered to capture wide-angle imagery of Earth — or peer at their spacecraft. Sen recently launched its video cameras (and a computer system for data processing) onboard a satellite from Russian company RSC Energia.
"We've spent years planning and developing the technology to stream real-time 4K video from space, so it's a great achievement to have our first successful mission," Charles Black, the founder and CEO of Sen, said in a statement.
"This mission validates our core technology — which will be deployed in future on both hosted cameras and our own satellites — as Sen develops its business of streaming videos from space for the benefit of humanity," he said.
RSC Energia will use Sen's video-streaming platform on future spacecraft, Sen representatives added in the statement.
Sen, which is short for "Space Exploration Network," was founded in 2014 with the aim of sending real-time video from space to people on Earth. The company briefly operated a news service on its website before refocusing several years ago on creating a streaming platform, which Sen says will help global populations deal with a changing climate.
Sen is a newer entrant to a competitive market for small-satellite providers that give real-time information about Earth. Other companies in that market include Planet, UrtheCast and Spire Global.
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Elizabeth Howell (she/her), Ph.D., is a staff writer in the spaceflight channel since 2022 covering diversity, education and gaming as well. She was contributing writer for Space.com for 10 years before joining full-time. Elizabeth's reporting includes multiple exclusives with the White House and Office of the Vice-President of the United States, an exclusive conversation with aspiring space tourist (and NSYNC bassist) Lance Bass, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, flying parabolic, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, "Why Am I Taller?", is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams. Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota, a Bachelor of Journalism from Canada's Carleton University and a Bachelor of History from Canada's Athabasca University. Elizabeth is also a post-secondary instructor in communications and science at several institutions since 2015; her experience includes developing and teaching an astronomy course at Canada's Algonquin College (with Indigenous content as well) to more than 1,000 students since 2020. Elizabeth first got interested in space after watching the movie Apollo 13 in 1996, and still wants to be an astronaut someday. Mastodon: https://qoto.org/@howellspace