• Question: What is the difference between a camera that can take a picture in space and a camera that can take a picture on earth?

    Asked by sashagrace to Amanda, Ben, Dan, Gary, Samer on 19 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Gary Boorman

      Gary Boorman answered on 19 Jun 2013:

      A camera on earth is easy and cheap to make. To take a picture, I aim the camera, press a button and then download to my PC. If the camera goes wrong I can easily get another.
      A camera for use in space has to very, very reliable. How do you aim the camera in space? You need a satellite for the camera to ride on. How do you take the picture? Use a radio transmitter to send a command to the satellite. How do you get the picture to earth? With a radio receiver on the earth. How do you fix the camera if it goes wrong….?

    • Photo: Dan Weatherill

      Dan Weatherill answered on 19 Jun 2013:

      Most cameras in space experiments aren’t trying to take photos of visible light (light that you can see). Astronomers are interested in pictures of X-rays, UV light and infra red light. These can still be taken with cameras, but your regular Earth cameras aren’t always the best.

      In space there is a lot of nasty radiation, which our atmophere and Earth’s magnetic field protects us from. Your normal camera wouldn’t last long up there before it got destroyed.

      Also, since putting things in space costs so much, we have to be really really sure our cameras are going to work properly before launch

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