This is the camera gear that NASA use on the International Space Station

April 14, 2016 by John Aldred 23 Comments

From the moon landings to present day, one constant question that much of the world’s population has when it comes to space missions is their choice of camera equipment.

During the space race with the then U.S.S.R. of the 1960s, and using primarily Hasselblad cameras with 70mm film, NASA found that they needed more portable cameras for active situations. This was when NASA’s long history with Nikon began, and they have been supplying NASA with camera equipment ever since.

Recently, in a Space Station Live stream, American astronaut Jeff Williams received the question again and went into some detail on the equipment they use on the ISS.

Known for the high level of detail they can capture, wide dynamic range, and high ISO performance, NASA’s weapon of choice today is the Nikon D4, of which the ISS houses several, along with a wide selection of Nikon lenses, including the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR shown in this image.

NASA range of lenses includes everything from super wide angle, to “several” of the massive Nikon 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR, which becomes 1120mm equivalent when used with the Nikon AF-S FX TC-14E III 1.4x Teleconverter.

Towards the end of the video, Jeff shows us his Window on the World, through which he creates many of his photographs, and is the only point on the space station from which you can view the entire planet at once.

Jeff also talks about some of the techniques used to create video from still images, by creating panoramic images which are panned in post to produce some amazing results.

Here is one of Jeff’s merged panoramas of the Andes Mountain Range coming up to the horizon.

Merged panorama of the Andes Mountain Range on the horizon. pic.twitter.com/RIETp6SUY2

— Jeff Williams (@Astro_Jeff) April 11, 2016

And the resulting video, zoomed in and showing the kind of detail that can be captured with their Nikon equipment, even at this great distance.

A closer look at the Andes Mountains on the horizon.https://t.co/MDK8PQCk1J

— Jeff Williams (@Astro_Jeff) April 11, 2016

You can follow more of Jeff Williams’ adventure over on Instagram and Facebook, or reach out, far out, to him through Twitter. You can also keep track of the ISS on the Space Station Live Ustream feed.

About John Aldred

John Aldred is based in Scotland and photographs people in the wild and animals in the studio.

You can find out more about John on his website and follow his adventures on YouTube and Facebook.

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Frank Nazario

Nikon…YES!
- Gvido Mūrnieks
  
  Someone important is using the same brand, I happen to be using… YES!
  This totally validates self worth, by associating myself with someone else!
  :D
  - Frank Nazario
    
    LOL… i’ve been using Nikon all my life (54) and I am happy that NASA uses Nikon glass and bodies as their photography solution.
  - Flodder
    
    especailly when you are a fat guy in midlife crisis like frank.
  - Taiwan Explorer
    
    Cut him some slack, Gvido.
Nathaniel J. Burns

Laura Durant
MikeDF

Given the lack (or very minimal) gravity was the camera modified in terms of the moving parts?
And was it specially packed for the high G take-off when it was taken up?
- Flodder
  
  your camera needs gravity to work?
- Sean
  
  I’m sure everything sent up is packed tightly…don’t need no cameras bopping you in the head. And why would gravity be an issue? Only moving parts in a digital camera would be the mirror, lens iris blades and auto-focus gears. None of which are gravity driven.
Flodder

they are in space.. and they have nothing better to show than the boring gear they brought up from earth?
Michael Chastain

“and is the only point on the space station from which you can view the entire planet at once.”

Surprisingly you can only see about 2.5% of the earth from the 205 mile high orbit of the ISS at any given time. Not exactly a correction, but I once assumed you’d be able to see something approaching half the earth from orbit and was shocked when I did the research and found out how little you can actually observe.

To put that into perspective that’s an area about the size of the United States. By comparison at 40,000 feet in an airplane you can only see 0.01% of the earth. From 240,000 miles away on the moon you can see 49.2%.
- Kaouthia
  
  It was stated by Jeff in the video, so I assumed he knew what he was talking about. ;)
  - Michael Chastain
    
    Like I say… not really a correction. I take the statement to mean the only place on the ISS with an unobstructed view of earth. It just turns out that with that unobstructed view you can still only see about 2.5% of the earth at any given time.
    
    Here’s a graphic I threw together to help myself visualize it: http://i.imgur.com/yqNYnza.png
    
    Here’s a mathematical analysis: http://heimhenge.com/skylights/2014/08/04/qa-how-much-of-the-earth-can-be-seen/
    
    Here’s a NASA article on the topic: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/EdLu/
    
    Anyway… I just thought it’s interesting information.
    - Kevin McLeod
      
      That looks about right. I remember watching a pass on the ISS livestream from the middle of the USA, camera switched switched from forward to rear view, and could just barely make out the coast in both views.
  - Michael Chastain
    
    I finally found a fisheye view out that window. It looks like you’re seeing a good portion of the earth, but it’s still just that 2.5%.
    
    http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/images/755812main_iss_view_full_full.jpg
Joseph Noah

Boring
David Hardman Sr.

Some have declared that the earth is flat and state that the photos of earth are taken with fish eye lenses, giving it it’s curvature. Is this true? And does the earth have curvature viewed with the naked eye? Thank you!
- Warren Taylor
  
  The flat earthers are among the most profoundly ignorant morons on the planet. They deny a fact that has been known to educated individuals for over 2,000 years. I find it distressing that some of these defective people probably reproduce, and that if they are over 18 and live in the U.S. their votes count the same as mine.
  - Darkside
    
    And people are wondering how on earth did the Orange Man get elected to the top office in the land.
  - Illu Sion
    
    how to get easy likes on a post by writing a comment that adds value to no one but everyone agree with.. way to go chammp
- Teh Moose
  
  Yes. The Earth has curvature because its a sphere. I mean, duh.
Robert Bali

Why use a 16MP camera? That just seems ridiculous. With a larger sensor you can use a regular lens (or a telephoto) and have much more options to crop. Sony’s A7r ii is a 42 MP camera and phase one has a 100MP camera. With 16MPs you are pretty limited. I’ve watch alot of these ISS space footage and they all seem the same. I wonder why they never show us the stars when they are in night. The sony a7s ii full frame sensor is incredible for low light and would be able to capture a never before footage of the stars or the moon when they are in night. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/01af801cf3558c2b04a0906d5be5ff91b8851b38785d3f79ca6e134c2778b416.jpg
Also why not film the moon at night?
It just seems like they show the same angles all the time.
- Oliver Foxley
  
  Maybe Sony don’t cope well at launch. I know NASA switched from Canon for this reason, Fluorite in the lenses made them shatter. Nikon and Hasselblad have been solid for them. Agreed though they could still shoot 45 MP on Nikon anyway.