Space above and beyond
Image of the International Space Station, Space Shuttle and Earth captured from the ISS © NASA.
Nikon has released images taken from space using its D3S digital SLR camera
Author: Olivier Laurent
Last year, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) ordered 11 Nikon D3S cameras to use on the Space Shuttle, and later at the International Space Station, alongside 7 AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lenses. Now, NASA and Nikon have released the firm images captured in space by the D3S (see images above and below).
But, these images are not the first to be captured in space using Nikon equipment. "To date, NASA has captured more than 700,000 images with Nikon equipment carried into space," says Nikon. "Nikon’s history with NASA began with the Nikon Photomic FTN※, a modified Nikon F camera that was used aboard the Apollo 15 in 1971. Nikon’s relationship with NASA continued even with the transition to digital when NASA placed orders for Nikon D2XS digital-SLR cameras in 2008. These cameras are still being used in space today."
In June, the Russian Federal Space Agency also ordered three Nikon cameras. At the time, Nikon said that "no special improvements or modifications [had] been made to these products. They are the same products available to consumers, confirming the reliability of the D3S, D3X and Nikkor lenses."
For more on Nikon's cameras, visit www.nikon.co.uk.
Comments
It’s great that Nikon has this contract with NASA, but am I the only one that thinks it’s a little bit sketchy that they’re bringing up loads of camera equipment onto a space station that’s supposed main purpose is for experiments. I mean, there’s already countless pictures from the ISS in low earth orbit, it’s not like we’re landing on mars for the first time. What I’m getting at is, I wonder if the real intention of all this camera equipment is for surveillance. I know there’s already a bunch of spy satellites in orbit to do this, but there’s always a transmission back to earth that’s capable of being intercepted. With the ISS, the images can simply be taken back down to earth with zero risk of being intercepted. What makes it worse is that Nikon has a contract with the Rososmos, and the ISS is pretty much theirs at the moment, since they’re the only ones capable of transporting ppl up. This picture says it all… astronaut a / ab workouts /a - the two on the right that appear to be very absorbed using the camera system are cosmonauts, and the astronaut innocently working out with an ab belt is on the left. Now if that doesn ‘t look bad, then idk what does…
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