SUPER SENSITIVE HDTV CAMERA SYSTEM (SS-HDTV)
Research Area: Imaging Technology
Expedition(s): 28- 29
Principle Investigator(s): ● Hideaki Tazuke, Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), Tokyo,
Japan
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The Super-Sensitive High Definition TV (SS-HDTV) project is a joint research effort between
Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) and JAXA. The SS-HDTV camera takes images of Earth at
night capturing phenomena like auroras, meteor showers, etc., and broadcasting the images as
a TV program.
EARTH BENEFIT
SS-HDTV records the natural phenomena of auroras, lightning, sprites, airglow, meteor
showers, and others for additional study and observation.
SPACE BENEFIT
This investigation is applied to new knowledge and not specifically to advances in space
exploration.
RESULTS
SS-HDTV was flown to the International
Space Station (ISS) in April 2011 by Russian
cargo ship Progress for operations in the
ISS pressurized module cabin including JEM
and Cupola. The SS-HDTV system was used
to take the high-resolution images, such as
luminous cloud, lightning, sprite, aurora,
atmospheric airglow, meteor shower, the
zodiacal light, night view, sunset, and the
moon images.
This investigation is complete and all results are published.
Astronaut Satoshi Furukawa in action ‘SS-HDTV Video
in the ISS Cupola. JAXA image.