Breathtaking images from the first ultra-high-resolution camera in Earth’s orbit show our bright blue planet against the black abyss of space.
The photos were taken by a 360-degree camera launched into space by a private Chinese company that described it as an “astronomical achievement.”
Shenzhen-based camera company Insta360 says these images are just the tip of the iceberg. It plans to capture similarly sharp images of the stars and the Milky Way.
The project’s engineers spent 12 months adapting the cameras to make the journey, including six months of research and development that involved tackling the harsh conditions, including cosmic rays, that the cameras would face in space. imitated or even surpassed.
Insta360 attached its X2 cameras to satellites to take 360-degree photos of Earth from space
The satellite orbits the Earth completely every 90 minutes and continuously takes pictures of the stars, Earth and the Milky Way
With temperatures in space fluctuating between -94 degrees Fahrenheit and 122 degrees Fahrenheit depending on the area on Earth the camera orbits, developers have conducted thousands of tests.
Testing included placing the cameras in boxes at high and low temperatures, radiation testing and using vacuum simulations.
The company launched two
‘The project is about hard work, but also about a bit of luck. Space can be unpredictable and there is no backup hardware or software if the camera experiences problems,” the company said.
“Fortunately, both cameras and their sensors are still fully functional and provide an incredible view of space.”
In fact, the company’s X2 cameras are so incredible that their 5.7K resolution, 360-degree videos and photos can’t be fully appreciated on YouTube or even on many high-end TVs, which top out at 4K.
The X2 cameras are programmed to continue orbiting Earth for the next two years before burning up in space.
Insta360 had their cameras tested in a thermal vacuum chamber, also called a Space Environment Simulator, which is used to expose equipment to the environmental conditions it will experience in space, specifically by adapting it to extreme temperatures and lowering the atmospheric pressure.
To do this, the SES uses a cryopump, which is essentially a larger version of the vacuum cleaner that people use at home.
The cryopump removes all gases by injecting liquid nitrogen into the chamber and eliminating all but the smallest amount of air, reducing it to about one billionth of Earth’s normal atmospheric pressure.
During initial testing, engineers discovered that the camera’s systems would crash at extremely low temperatures and that the adhesive sealing the X2 could be affected by radiation. The company’s vacuum environment test also found that the lens could lose pressure, resulting in poor resolution and image quality.
Engineers began developing the project in July 2021, with the intention of starting in 2022, but were forced to postpone due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Insta360 said the
The company said it worked with Media Storm and SAR satellite company Spacety to make the mission a success.
Insta360 collaborated with SAR Spacety Co. Ltd. to launch its cameras on the company’s satellites in January.
Insta360 designed the X2 cameras (pictured) to withstand the harsh conditions they would experience in space. Development took twelve months and thousands of tests.
Despite the beautiful images, US officials called Spacety Co. Ltd. in January as a potential security threat.
The DOT accused Spacety of supporting the Wagner Group’s military operations in Russia and the country’s military activities in Ukraine.
It alleged that Spacety provided financial, material or technical support for, or goods or services to, Terra Tech, which is identified as a company operating the technology sector of the military of the Russian Federation.
Spacety denied the allegations in a racksays it has complied with international sanctions imposed on Russia, claiming it “never had any commercial relationship, made no deal or signed any agreements with the Russian entity accused by the United States.”
The company added: “We have ceased all commercial relations or business with other Russian entities since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war, and we have never, ever participated in any form of military activities in support of the Russian-Ukrainian war and the Wagner group. .’
Spacety was added to the SDN list just a week after Insta360 launched the X2 cameras on its satellite.
The DOT did not specify whether there was a connection between Insta360’s launch and its decision to add Spacety to its SDN list.
Insta360 did not immediately respond to the Ny Breaking’s request for comment, sent outside regular business hours.
The company has not expressed any concerns about the partnership with Spacety, saying instead that it has achieved the impossible and focused solely on the remarkable photos its cameras have captured while orbiting the world from space.
“Despite obstacles, the project truly reflects what it means to ‘think boldly’ and has only fueled Insta360’s desire to develop products that can withstand extreme conditions,” the company said in a press release.
It concluded: ‘This is just the beginning of how far Insta360 can push the boundaries!’