HIGH DEFINITION TELEVISION MULTI-PROTOCOL CONVERTER SYSTEM (HDTV MPC)
Research Area: Imaging Technology
Expedition(s): 17- ongoing
Principal Investigator(s): ● Keiji Murakami, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency,
Tsukuba, Japan
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The High Definition Television (HDTV) Multi-
Protocol Converter (MPC) System transmits an
HDTV image, which the ISS crew records on
orbit, to the ground. The HDTV image and
audio that is transmitted to the ground by
MPC is converted to HD-SDI signal, so that a
HDTV monitor can display the signal through a
commercial HDTV/HD-SDI Decoder in real
time; the downlinked images are also able to
be watched and edited by commercial
software on personal computers.
EARTH BENEFIT
The HDTV MPC represents a new way to transmit
HDTV and Ethernet signals that record
experimental data to be sent back to earth.SPACE BENEFIT
This investigation is applied to new knowledge, and
not specifically to advances in Space Exploration.RESULTS
In cooperation with NASA, the transmission to the ground of the HDTV image by MPC was
successful in October of 2007. After that, MPC capability was evaluated in detail by NASA and
became the standard system equipment of ISS. Furthermore, MPC was used during the repair
mission of the Hubble space telescope mission, STS-125, in 2009.
From 2007 to the present, most of the HDTV images such as live-broadcast from ISS cabin,
reports of ISS missions, and Earth observation images by astronauts, which are broadcast on
television and shown in science museums are transmitted to the ground through MPC. The
MPC system continues to be used in order to transmit HDTV image of HDV Camcorder from ISS
to the ground.
This investigation is ongoing and additional results are pending publication.
Report from Kibo with Cabin HDTV Camera. JAXA
image.Blue Earth View with KIBO HDTV-EF Camera
JAXA image.