NASA isgiving Earth folk a new view of their home planet in high-definition (HD), asseen through the eyes of astronauts of past shuttle and International SpaceStation missions.
Thehour-long special includes crisp views of Earth's oceans and continents thatonly astronauts have been privy to while floating in orbit.
NASA airedthe HD broadcast on NASA TV early Friday as a silent film of serene Earthviews. A replay is scheduled for the same time on Monday, and will air all daylong from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. EDT (1000-1200 GMT) onApril 22. The replays include a discussion of the Earth views by JustinWilkinson, a scientist with the Crew Earth Observations Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The footagewill also run on standard NASA TV during regularly scheduled Video Filebroadcasts.
Theastronaut-shot Earth views mark the latest in a series of efforts to view spacein high-definition video, whether looking at Earth, the moon or spacecraftinteriors.
Japan's Kaguyalunar orbiter captured HDvideo of Earth-rise while orbiting the moon on April 5, and Japan's tour bus-sized Kibo laboratory onthe International Space Station will also host an HD camera once it iscompletely assembled. The Kibo lab's large pressurized segment is slated forlaunch in late May aboard a NASA shuttle.
TheDiscovery Channel also plans on airing a miniseriesthis year featuring never-before-seen footage of NASA missions restored in high-definition.
Click here for a button to access NASA TVfeed on SPACE.com's ISS mission updates.
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