Why no video streams of space?

In summary, video encoding hardware is cheap and inexpensive. Even the tiniest trickle of bandwidth is enough for crisp, sharp, colourful moving images. However, to get amazing video, the exposure time required to take one still is a few minutes, and the bandwidth is still too much to have more than webcam quality.
  • #1
luma
32
0
Video encoding hardware is cheap and inexpensive. Even the tiniest trickle of bandwidth is enough for crisp, sharp, colourful moving images.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/05/checking_in_on_saturn.html

Browsing these images you really wonder our cameraman in space is just taking static portraits. Why not amazing video? Even 3D polarised video is now available for moviemaking.

Imagine.
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
  • #2
luma said:
Video encoding hardware is cheap and inexpensive. Even the tiniest trickle of bandwidth is enough for crisp, sharp, colourful moving images.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/05/checking_in_on_saturn.html

Browsing these images you really wonder our cameraman in space is just taking static portraits. Why not amazing video? Even 3D polarised video is now available for moviemaking.

Imagine.

Well I believe the exposure time required to take one still is a few minutes. All you would end up with in a 'live-feed' is a static image that changes every few minutes... Not so exciting. It would be even worse if it were from a 'camera' in orbit around earth. Exposure times would be a lot more. As well the images are HUGE and highly detailed.

I suspect if you put a regular old 'webcam' into orbit and aimed it into outer space you wouldn't see much. I don't even think you'd be able to see the stars... maybe every now and then you'd see some peace of debris wizz by, or the moon or something but ... not too exciting...
 
  • #3
It's mostly the phone bill.
Cassini is currently about 1bn miles away and unless you have a vast antennae and lots of power it's hard to send HD video over that sort of distance. I'm guessing Cassini's bandwidth is closer to a 1980s acoustic modem.

Even for stills the imagers on Cassini and all other space probes are mono with a set of color filters. To get a single color image takes 3x as long as a mono image and takes 3x the bandwidth to send home.
 
  • #4
mgb_phys said:
It's mostly the phone bill.
Cassini is currently about 1bn miles away and unless you have a vast antennae and lots of power it's hard to send HD video over that sort of distance. I'm guessing Cassini's bandwidth is closer to a 1980s acoustic modem.

Even for stills the imagers on Cassini and all other space probes are mono with a set of color filters. To get a single color image takes 3x as long as a mono image and takes 3x the bandwidth to send home.

It would still be cool to set up a live feed on the ISS or any satellite really, just to watch the motion of the Earth or sun.
 
  • #5
Mu naught said:
It would still be cool to set up a live feed on the ISS or any satellite really, just to watch the motion of the Earth or sun.

True. A decent HD 1080p camera on the ISS just looking down (say a Canon 5Mkii) could produce some interesting data simply because the repeated passes over the same area could tell you a lot about micro-weather / pollution / waves etc.
Bandwidth is probably still too much to have more than webcam quality, but returning astronauts could sneaker-net back a bunch of 1Tb drives.
 
  • #6
24 seconds video encoded without audio to Ogg Theora. 720x576

No loss - 5 MiB
Video quality 8/10 (no noticeable change) - 2.4 MiB
Video quality 4/10 (slightly grainy) - 829 KiB

Let's say 4 MiB for a grainy HD video of a minute. It could be smaller since colour could realistically be transmitted for just a single frame and that image sampled for the other monotone frames by CGI here on earth.

Typical acoustic speed is about 300 bits/second

4 MiB * 8 bits / 300 bits = 4, 000, 000 * 8 / 300 ~ 110 Ksecs (rounding up)

Thirty hours.

A satellite could swing around in orbit transmitting for a single day what could inspire thousands of new scientists. Images of an alien planet.

Motion is the life that characterises our universe. Video was our window to other cultures decades ago. And now... other worlds?
 
  • #7
Picture #15 on that site is amazing. (saved)
It's like your standing on one moon (Enceladus) looking at another moon (Titan) with Saturn's rings in between.
 
  • #8
luma said:
A satellite could swing around in orbit transmitting for a single day what could inspire thousands of new scientists. Images of an alien planet.

Sorry, what exactly would you be pointing this video at?
 
  • #9
DaveC426913 said:
Sorry, what exactly would you be pointing this video at?

Record for a min, transmit for a day.
 
  • #10
luma said:
Record for a min, transmit for a day.

You didn't answer my question.

Oh, OK. You're talking about a camera on one of our interplanetary probes that visit solar system planets. Didn't get that.
 
  • #11
And that already happened. Cassini is taking pictures constantly, sending them back, and anyone playing them in sequence has a video.
 
  • #12
I think he's talking about like having a camera on the iss and having it point out into random space. I honestly don't see a real demand for that so that's probably why it hasn't happened.
 
  • #13
There is already plenty of satellite observation of the earth.
http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/

One can get real time information on weather patterns, particularly storm systems, by simply contacting NOAA and getting the data. Meterological models are developed and verified against these data.

http://www.goes.noaa.gov/WINDS/index.html
http://www.osei.noaa.gov/

NASA is watching the Earth as well - http://eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/
The Earth Observing System (EOS) is a coordinated series of polar-orbiting and low inclination satellites for long-term global observations of the land surface, biosphere, solid Earth, atmosphere, and oceans. EOS is a major component of the Earth Science Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. EOS enables an improved understanding of the Earth as an integrated system. The EOS Project Science Office (EOSPSO) is committed to bringing program information and resources to program scientists and the general public alike.
and ESA - http://www.esa.int/esaEO/index.html
for example - http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEM9UI19Y8G_index_0.html

And NASA is constantly watch the Sun
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/
 
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1. Why can't we see live video streams from space?

There are several reasons why live video streams from space are not currently possible. One major factor is the lack of reliable and high-speed internet connection in space. Satellites and space stations typically use radio frequency to transmit data, which is not fast enough to support live video streaming. Additionally, there are technical challenges involved in capturing and transmitting high-quality video in the extreme conditions of space.

2. Can't we use satellites to capture and transmit live video from space?

Satellites do play a role in capturing images and data from space, but they are not designed for live video streaming. These satellites typically orbit around Earth and have limited coverage and bandwidth, making it difficult to capture and transmit live video in real-time. Furthermore, the cost and complexity of launching and maintaining such satellites make it impractical for live video streaming purposes.

3. Has there ever been live video footage from space?

Yes, there have been some live video footage captured from space in the past, such as the live broadcast of the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969. However, these instances are rare and require significant resources and technical capabilities. The majority of footage we see from space is pre-recorded and edited before it is shared with the public.

4. Are there any efforts being made to enable live video streaming from space?

Yes, there are ongoing efforts to improve the technology and infrastructure needed for live video streaming from space. Companies like SpaceX and Amazon are investing in developing high-speed internet networks in space, which could eventually support live video streaming. NASA is also working on new technologies and partnerships to enhance our ability to capture and transmit live video from space.

5. Will we ever be able to see live video streams from other planets or galaxies?

It is currently not possible to capture live video from other planets or galaxies due to the vast distances involved. The time it takes for a video signal to travel from such distant locations would make live streaming impractical. However, advancements in technology and space exploration may enable us to see live footage from other planets or galaxies in the future.

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