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[[underline]] The Camera on the Shuttle [[/underline]]

The shuttle--KidSat's camera is mounted on selected flights of the space shuttle. The space shuttle is launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and within minutes is in orbit around the earth. After the shuttle is in orbit, the astronauts mount the camera in one of the shuttle's windows, and connect it to a computer which controls its operations. The camera is then left in the window, and can be commanded from the ground, taking the pictures requested by students.

[[image]] KidSat Camera [[/image]]

The shuttle's orbit is essentially circular, going around the world once every 90 minutes at an altitude of about 200 miles. As the earth turns under the orbit, the shuttle passes over many parts of the world.

The Camera--The camera on the shuttle is a Nikon/Kodak digital camera. Instead of film, the camera uses an array of sensors which enable the pictures to be recorded digitally for electronic transmission to the schools. The camera is pointed directly down at earth and the size of the area shown in the pictures depends on the lens used, ranging from a few tens to about a hundred miles across.

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Kodak DCS 460

Teachers' Handbook              Page 8