{"id":23870,"date":"2025-02-20T01:35:42","date_gmt":"2025-02-19T17:35:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/sen-capturing-earths-beauty-from-space-in-4k\/"},"modified":"2025-02-20T01:35:42","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T17:35:42","slug":"sen-capturing-earths-beauty-from-space-in-4k","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/sen-capturing-earths-beauty-from-space-in-4k\/","title":{"rendered":"Sen: capturing Earth\u2019s beauty from space in 4K"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Sen is on a mission to democratize space through the use of high-quality video from above the Earth. The cameras it has launched into space so far include a free 4K video livestream from the International Space Station (ISS). NSF recently spoke with the company\u2019s CEO, Charles Black, who hopes these views will be accessed by billions of people to inspire, educate, inform, and ultimately benefit humanity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you look at Earth from space, you see things differently,\u201d says Black, the founder of the London-based company. \u201cI\u2019m driven by this idea that there\u2019s eight billion people on the planet, and everyone should see that reality of our existence, in the same way astronauts do if you were looking out of the window of the Space Station. Everyone should have that perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Capturing Space in 4K - Sen''s Charles Black - NSF Live: Europe's Future in Space\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/65FniXts5aA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" name=\"fitvid0\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>These high-quality views of our blue marble are freely accessible on the company\u2019s website, YouTube channel, and companion app. Sen wants to broadcast images that empower us to see this different perspective and document humanity\u2019s exploration of space as we explore the solar system. Ultimately, Sen\u2019s goal is to tell amazing stories of space exploration.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you think of the Apollo landings, hundreds of millions of people watched those and wanted to see [them] happening,\u201d Black says. \u201cIn today\u2019s currency, in terms of the population and the availability of screens and internet, that is the equivalent of several billion people. I think telling the story of our exploration of the Moon and humans\u2019 return there is absolutely essential. That\u2019s something people want to watch, and we want to be part of that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As with any venture that treads new ground, the business model can be challenging for investors, but Sen is keen to stick to core principles. \u201cWe\u2019re doing this for the people, to democratize space and to empower people to witness planetary change,\u201d Black explains.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-104902\" class=\"wp-image-104902 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/An-astronauts-view-of-the-Himalayas-Sep.-2024-Credit-SEN.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"3004\" height=\"1632\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/An-astronauts-view-of-the-Himalayas-Sep.-2024-Credit-SEN.png 3004w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/An-astronauts-view-of-the-Himalayas-Sep.-2024-Credit-SEN-350x190.png 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/An-astronauts-view-of-the-Himalayas-Sep.-2024-Credit-SEN-630x342.png 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/An-astronauts-view-of-the-Himalayas-Sep.-2024-Credit-SEN-768x417.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/An-astronauts-view-of-the-Himalayas-Sep.-2024-Credit-SEN-1920x1043.png 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/An-astronauts-view-of-the-Himalayas-Sep.-2024-Credit-SEN-1170x636.png 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3004px) 100vw, 3004px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-104902\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An astronaut\u2019s view of the Himalayas, Sep. 2024. (Credit: Sen)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe see ourselves as a video streaming company. We\u2019re not trying to compete in the observation market because there are people doing a brilliant job there, taking really high-resolution pictures with radar and hyperspectral. We\u2019re trying to do something different, which is about what the public wants.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Astronomy<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>Rocket building kits<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>SpaceX<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>\n<p>     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/p>\n<p>While targeting government and defense customers for its business model might have been easier, Sen\u2019s focus on the public allows for a potential audience of more than three billion. With the increasing number of smartphones and high-speed internet constellations such as Starlink and Kuiper, Sen believes its audience could exceed four billion in the next decade. \u201cAs long as we get enough people watching it, we can make money through TV revenue,\u201d Black adds. In addition to its YouTube channel, Sen\u2019s streams will become available as a free advert-supported Connect TV channel in the coming months.<\/p>\n<p>Broadcasting from the ISS<\/p>\n<p>Sen\u2019s first system, SpaceTV-1, launched in March 2024 as part of the CRS-30 cargo resupply mission to the ISS. The payload was mounted to the station\u2019s exterior using the Canadarm-2 robotic arm.<\/p>\n<p>Sen partnered with Airbus as the implementation partner, who had already built the Bartolomeo platform hosted on the European Space Agency\u2019s <em>Columbus<\/em> module. The platform was designed to host payloads, and as an early adopter, SEN could choose a location for the cameras.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-104903\" class=\"wp-image-104903 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Hurricane-Milton-moves-across-the-Gulf-of-Mexico-towards-Florida-on-Oct.-9-2024-Credit-SEN.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"3010\" height=\"1670\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Hurricane-Milton-moves-across-the-Gulf-of-Mexico-towards-Florida-on-Oct.-9-2024-Credit-SEN.png 3010w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Hurricane-Milton-moves-across-the-Gulf-of-Mexico-towards-Florida-on-Oct.-9-2024-Credit-SEN-350x194.png 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Hurricane-Milton-moves-across-the-Gulf-of-Mexico-towards-Florida-on-Oct.-9-2024-Credit-SEN-630x350.png 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Hurricane-Milton-moves-across-the-Gulf-of-Mexico-towards-Florida-on-Oct.-9-2024-Credit-SEN-768x426.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Hurricane-Milton-moves-across-the-Gulf-of-Mexico-towards-Florida-on-Oct.-9-2024-Credit-SEN-1920x1065.png 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Hurricane-Milton-moves-across-the-Gulf-of-Mexico-towards-Florida-on-Oct.-9-2024-Credit-SEN-1170x649.png 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3010px) 100vw, 3010px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-104903\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hurricane Milton moves across the Gulf of Mexico towards Florida on Oct. 9, 2024. (Credit: Sen)<\/p>\n<p>One of SpaceTV-1\u2019s views shows the forward-facing docking port on the ISS\u2019s <em>Harmony<\/em> module. \u201cIt was important that we did have views of the Space Station and the docking port because you want to connect humanity in space with people on the ground,\u201d says Black. \u201cSo, to film them arriving and leaving [from the Station] is important. We then wanted to have the Earth\u2019s horizon in view, looking at storms and hurricanes and just showing the reality that we do live on a planet. We also wanted to look right down at the ground so we can see large-scale events happening, like wildfires or flooding, and also see the beauty of the planet \u2014 the geology in mountain ranges and lakes, deserts and forests.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Starting with these three main views, the team worked backward to determine the optics and principles needed to achieve them. \u201cWe work with a specialist company that manufactures those optics with glass that doesn\u2019t brown with radiation over time. That was something we actually learned from our first mission when we flew with off-the-shelf lenses, and after about six months, you could see that they were going brown.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The team wanted to include as much detail as possible for the view looking down at Earth. However, achieving high-resolution views of Earth brings its challenges. \u201cYou\u2019re traveling at 27,000 km\/h, so you can\u2019t have one-meter resolution on the ground because it\u2019s moving so fast and, without being able to point the camera there, it would just be blurred.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-104904\" class=\"wp-image-104904 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/London-is-seen-from-the-ISS-via-SENs-onboard-4k-cameras-Credit-SEN-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/London-is-seen-from-the-ISS-via-SENs-onboard-4k-cameras-Credit-SEN-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/London-is-seen-from-the-ISS-via-SENs-onboard-4k-cameras-Credit-SEN-350x197.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/London-is-seen-from-the-ISS-via-SENs-onboard-4k-cameras-Credit-SEN-622x350.jpg 622w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/London-is-seen-from-the-ISS-via-SENs-onboard-4k-cameras-Credit-SEN-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/London-is-seen-from-the-ISS-via-SENs-onboard-4k-cameras-Credit-SEN-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/London-is-seen-from-the-ISS-via-SENs-onboard-4k-cameras-Credit-SEN-1170x658.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-104904\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">London is seen from the ISS via Sen\u2019s onboard 4k cameras. (Credit: Sen)<\/p>\n<p>Each pixel on this Earth-facing view equates to roughly 60 m of the Earth\u2019s surface. \u201cThe scene size is about 240 km by 180 km, and it moves at a speed which I feel has been successful. It\u2019s quite hypnotic, and [Earth] moves slowly enough that you can see all the details, but it\u2019s also of high quality in terms of optical and spatial resolution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Currently, the SpaceTV-1 cameras are not steerable, but this is a feature that is in the development pipeline. Having already flown a steerable camera developed for RSC Energia, Sen was keen to include steerable cameras on the SpaceTV-1 core system. However, development issues complicated adding them to SpaceTV-1. \u201cWe learned some lessons, particularly around cable management with pan and tilt, and we wanted more time to be able to redesign and improve that,\u201d says Black.<\/p>\n<p>Steerable cameras will be added as part of the SpaceTV-2 successor, which the company is working on. \u201cI\u2019ll be really excited to get those onboard because then you can point at things on Earth and be able to point at both docking ports, which will give us additional capabilities,\u201d Black explains.<\/p>\n<p>The software on SpaceTV-1 can be updated at any time, and the company is constantly learning and improving its viewing capabilities, such as night settings. \u201cWe have lookup tables onboard which we can change, for example, what the exposure setting should be every second. Although you can put it on auto-exposure, we don\u2019t, and the only way to test these things is to get it into space and do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-104905\" class=\"wp-image-104905 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SEN-has-been-following-Earths-largest-and-oldest-iceberg-Iceberg-A23a-since-Jan.-2024-as-it-drifts-through-the-Southern-Ocean-along-the-Antarctic-Circumpolar-Current.-Credit-SEN.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"3014\" height=\"1698\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SEN-has-been-following-Earths-largest-and-oldest-iceberg-Iceberg-A23a-since-Jan.-2024-as-it-drifts-through-the-Southern-Ocean-along-the-Antarctic-Circumpolar-Current.-Credit-SEN.png 3014w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SEN-has-been-following-Earths-largest-and-oldest-iceberg-Iceberg-A23a-since-Jan.-2024-as-it-drifts-through-the-Southern-Ocean-along-the-Antarctic-Circumpolar-Current.-Credit-SEN-350x197.png 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SEN-has-been-following-Earths-largest-and-oldest-iceberg-Iceberg-A23a-since-Jan.-2024-as-it-drifts-through-the-Southern-Ocean-along-the-Antarctic-Circumpolar-Current.-Credit-SEN-621x350.png 621w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SEN-has-been-following-Earths-largest-and-oldest-iceberg-Iceberg-A23a-since-Jan.-2024-as-it-drifts-through-the-Southern-Ocean-along-the-Antarctic-Circumpolar-Current.-Credit-SEN-768x433.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SEN-has-been-following-Earths-largest-and-oldest-iceberg-Iceberg-A23a-since-Jan.-2024-as-it-drifts-through-the-Southern-Ocean-along-the-Antarctic-Circumpolar-Current.-Credit-SEN-1920x1082.png 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SEN-has-been-following-Earths-largest-and-oldest-iceberg-Iceberg-A23a-since-Jan.-2024-as-it-drifts-through-the-Southern-Ocean-along-the-Antarctic-Circumpolar-Current.-Credit-SEN-1170x659.png 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3014px) 100vw, 3014px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-104905\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sen has been following Earth\u2019s largest and oldest iceberg, \u201cIceberg A23a,\u201d since Jan. 2024 as it drifts through the Southern Ocean along the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. (Credit: Sen)<\/p>\n<p>Meeting NASA\u2019s design requirements<\/p>\n<p>Designing and assembling a payload to be hosted on the ISS requires passing some intense requirements, especially given its crewed nature. \u201cEngineering for space is what really impresses me. [SpaceTV-1 had] to pass vibration testing, thermal vacuum testing, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) testing, with three NASA safety reviews for every mission. You have to really focus on the reliability of the components in the system because it does go through quite a rough ride to get into space, and when it\u2019s there, it has a pretty tough time with thermal and radiation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have to spend quite a lot of time designing the thermal side \u2014 how the satellite is going to behave, how heat will radiate, and making the operating temperatures as big of a range as possible,\u201d Black told NSF. \u201cRadiation is less of a concern. New space companies are flying automotive-grade or even consumer-grade electronics with sufficient shielding around the payload structure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur satellite has been in orbit and operating successfully for three years, and our first mission is still operating. Some components we have are radiation tolerant for supervisor processors that are monitoring the health of the system, and these are components you never want to fail. We\u2019ve tried to design components where there is potentially a path to a radiation-hardened version for when we put cameras into a geostationary orbit and around the Moon, where the radiation environment is a lot harsher than around LEO (low-Earth orbit).\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-104901\" class=\"wp-image-104901 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Dragon-vehicle-seen-docked-to-the-ISS-Credit-SEN-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Dragon-vehicle-seen-docked-to-the-ISS-Credit-SEN-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Dragon-vehicle-seen-docked-to-the-ISS-Credit-SEN-350x197.jpeg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Dragon-vehicle-seen-docked-to-the-ISS-Credit-SEN-622x350.jpeg 622w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Dragon-vehicle-seen-docked-to-the-ISS-Credit-SEN-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Dragon-vehicle-seen-docked-to-the-ISS-Credit-SEN-1920x1080.jpeg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Dragon-vehicle-seen-docked-to-the-ISS-Credit-SEN-1170x658.jpeg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-104901\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">SpaceX Crew Dragon vehicle seen docked to the ISS. (Credit: Sen)<\/p>\n<p>The SpaceTV system has a \u201cdual string\u201d design in which there are essentially two of everything. \u201cWe\u2019ve got three camera views, and there\u2019s two cameras looking at each view for redundancy,\u201d Black highlights. \u201cIt\u2019s one way of de-risking the mission, but if you start doing that with satellites, they start getting more expensive.\u201d Doubling up on radio downlinks, video computers, and even cameras all impact the mass, power requirements, and bandwidth.<\/p>\n<p>Early developments<\/p>\n<p>Going back to 2016, with no off-the-shelf solutions available for its streaming vision, Sen decided to develop its own technology rather than employ another company to build it for them. This allows control over the whole data chain, from capturing video in space to streaming it to the end user. Armed with sufficient processing power, the video is compressed onboard in real-time, which helps to limit the bandwidth required down to \u201cjust a few megabits per second.\u201d It also reduces latency so that what you see on Sen\u2019s stream is live.<\/p>\n<p>Early tests included flying an off-the-shelf video camera under a high-altitude balloon to see how it would fare in space and test functionality such as remote zoom. \u201cWe realized that it didn\u2019t work,\u201d Black notes. \u201cBeing in the atmosphere, there was condensation on the lens, and the zoom didn\u2019t work. It was a disaster.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter that, we set about focusing on the electronic side to capture data through a camera sensor, process that data, and then turn it into a stream. I thought one of the most effective ways to start would be with hosted cameras because the electronics, payload, and computer are going to be the same, whether it\u2019s on our satellite or in a hosted system.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-104906\" class=\"wp-image-104906 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SENs-cameras-caught-the-launch-plume-from-Starships-sixth-flight-from-space-Credit-SEN.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2996\" height=\"1708\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SENs-cameras-caught-the-launch-plume-from-Starships-sixth-flight-from-space-Credit-SEN.png 2996w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SENs-cameras-caught-the-launch-plume-from-Starships-sixth-flight-from-space-Credit-SEN-350x200.png 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SENs-cameras-caught-the-launch-plume-from-Starships-sixth-flight-from-space-Credit-SEN-614x350.png 614w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SENs-cameras-caught-the-launch-plume-from-Starships-sixth-flight-from-space-Credit-SEN-768x438.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SENs-cameras-caught-the-launch-plume-from-Starships-sixth-flight-from-space-Credit-SEN-1920x1095.png 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SENs-cameras-caught-the-launch-plume-from-Starships-sixth-flight-from-space-Credit-SEN-1170x667.png 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2996px) 100vw, 2996px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-104906\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">SEN\u2019s camera\u2019s caught the launch plume from Starship\u2019s sixth flight from space (Credit: SEN)<\/p>\n<p>Sen\u2019s first in-space testing opportunity came when RSC Energia wanted to put 4K video cameras on a satellite for self-inspection. With various deployables and moving parts on the satellite, RSC Energia wanted visual verification to support the telemetry being received. \u201cThey had spent two years trying to find someone to do it, so I went to Moscow, and after a long process, we managed to get that contract,\u201d says Black.<\/p>\n<p>The project, which launched in February 2019 on a Soyuz, also allowed for the development of steerable cameras. \u201cThey actually had the cameras on during the launch as well. We handed over the code so they could switch on the cameras and steer them through their interface. We had no control over it, but they were pleased with the results, and they shared some of the videos with us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sen\u2019s next project was to develop its own satellite. Launched in January 2022 atop a Falcon 9 on the Transporter 3 mission, ETV A1 is a 16U cubesat \u2014 one of the largest built at that time \u2014 containing two cameras that record video in 4K.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-104909\" class=\"wp-image-104909 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Falcon-9-launches-Transporter-3-mission-in-Jan.-2022-Credit-SpaceX-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Falcon-9-launches-Transporter-3-mission-in-Jan.-2022-Credit-SpaceX-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Falcon-9-launches-Transporter-3-mission-in-Jan.-2022-Credit-SpaceX-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Falcon-9-launches-Transporter-3-mission-in-Jan.-2022-Credit-SpaceX-525x350.jpg 525w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Falcon-9-launches-Transporter-3-mission-in-Jan.-2022-Credit-SpaceX-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Falcon-9-launches-Transporter-3-mission-in-Jan.-2022-Credit-SpaceX-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Falcon-9-launches-Transporter-3-mission-in-Jan.-2022-Credit-SpaceX-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Falcon-9-launches-Transporter-3-mission-in-Jan.-2022-Credit-SpaceX-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Falcon-9-launches-Transporter-3-mission-in-Jan.-2022-Credit-SpaceX-263x175.jpg 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-104909\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">SpaceX Falcon 9 launches Transporter-3 mission in Jan. 2022 (Credit: SpaceX)<\/p>\n<p>The satellite uses a simple X-band radio and requires packets of data to be sent in a certain way to ground stations. This downlink allows data to be transmitted at about 25 megabits per second. \u201cIt\u2019s still operating in orbit, and it\u2019s a tech demo,\u201d Black says. \u201cWe can livestream when we go over ground stations, but there\u2019s limited live video for one minute. We learned a number of lessons from that, [such as] how to improve the electronics, the cameras, and how you do livestreaming [from space].\u201d<\/p>\n<p>By contrast, the SpaceTV-1 cameras on the ISS take advantage of NASA\u2019s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) communications network, which is how the Station downlinks all its data. Connecting to the Station via ethernet removes the limitation of waiting to pass over a ground station to transmit data. The livestreams are available for over 20 hours daily, with replays during the routine loss of signal periods. \u201cThey have plans to look at newer forms of relay data, and our system would be able to use any alternatives that are implemented over the next few years until the eventual end of the Space Station,\u201d Black adds.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-104910\" class=\"wp-image-104910 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/The-Alps-as-seen-from-SENs-4K-cameras-in-November-2024-Credit-SEN.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"3016\" height=\"1701\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/The-Alps-as-seen-from-SENs-4K-cameras-in-November-2024-Credit-SEN.png 3016w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/The-Alps-as-seen-from-SENs-4K-cameras-in-November-2024-Credit-SEN-350x197.png 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/The-Alps-as-seen-from-SENs-4K-cameras-in-November-2024-Credit-SEN-621x350.png 621w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/The-Alps-as-seen-from-SENs-4K-cameras-in-November-2024-Credit-SEN-768x433.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/The-Alps-as-seen-from-SENs-4K-cameras-in-November-2024-Credit-SEN-1920x1083.png 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/The-Alps-as-seen-from-SENs-4K-cameras-in-November-2024-Credit-SEN-1170x660.png 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3016px) 100vw, 3016px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-104910\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Alps as seen from SEN\u2019s 4K cameras in Nov. 2024 (Credit SEN)<\/p>\n<p>Sen\u2019s future plans<\/p>\n<p>SpaceTV-1 has two different sensors onboard, and the forthcoming SpaceTV-2 mission will feature sensors from an outside company. The SpaceTV system is designed to be sensor-agnostic to utilize newer sensors when they are released, including those that will work in 8K.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"widget-title penci-border-arrow\">See Also<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>European archive<\/li>\n<li>ISS forums<\/li>\n<li>L2 master section<\/li>\n<li>Click here to join L2<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cWe will go beyond 4K, but, more importantly, we want a higher resolution of the ground,\u201d Black points out. When future cameras are steerable, Sen will be able to point at the same place for up to 60 seconds. \u201cIt\u2019s not enough for us to record and then livestream once in a while over a ground station. I want to be able to switch [the cameras] on at any time.\u201d Black refers to the recent Los Angeles wildfires and the value that real-time observations would bring to the situation. \u201cIt\u2019s all about getting as much real-time video as possible, from as many different places as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sen is also in talks with other companies planning commercial space stations, such as Vast and Axiom. The arrangement would be a win-win, giving those operators external eyes on their stations and new camera views for Sen\u2019s viewers. \u201cThe way it works is we pay a fee to have the camera hosted, but the result is that we own the data. The plan is to get a lot more video cameras and livestreams into space, both on the ISS and private space stations as they emerge, and into different orbits like geostationary and lunar orbit. We\u2019d love to have a steerable camera on lunar rovers, and it would be great to have a camera on a helicopter on Mars.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-104911\" class=\"wp-image-104911 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Cargo-Dragon-C208-docked-to-the-ISS-in-November-2024-on-the-CRS-31-mission-with-South-Africa-in-the-distance-Credit-SEN.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"3024\" height=\"1711\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Cargo-Dragon-C208-docked-to-the-ISS-in-November-2024-on-the-CRS-31-mission-with-South-Africa-in-the-distance-Credit-SEN.png 3024w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Cargo-Dragon-C208-docked-to-the-ISS-in-November-2024-on-the-CRS-31-mission-with-South-Africa-in-the-distance-Credit-SEN-350x198.png 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Cargo-Dragon-C208-docked-to-the-ISS-in-November-2024-on-the-CRS-31-mission-with-South-Africa-in-the-distance-Credit-SEN-619x350.png 619w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Cargo-Dragon-C208-docked-to-the-ISS-in-November-2024-on-the-CRS-31-mission-with-South-Africa-in-the-distance-Credit-SEN-768x435.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Cargo-Dragon-C208-docked-to-the-ISS-in-November-2024-on-the-CRS-31-mission-with-South-Africa-in-the-distance-Credit-SEN-1920x1086.png 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/SpaceX-Cargo-Dragon-C208-docked-to-the-ISS-in-November-2024-on-the-CRS-31-mission-with-South-Africa-in-the-distance-Credit-SEN-1170x662.png 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3024px) 100vw, 3024px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-104911\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">SpaceX Cargo Dragon C208 docked to the ISS in Nov. 2024 on the CRS-31 mission, with South Africa in the distance. (Credit: Sen)<\/p>\n<p>Sen\u2019s long-term ambitions include inter-satellite links on their satellites, which will become required for many future LEO satellites. For its next mission, SEN plans to host three cameras, each with a 55-degree field of view, which could be stitched together to create an 8K-style image of Earth\u2019s horizon. \u201cIf there was, say, a hurricane you wanted to film. You could stream that in 4K or do a full horizon image at even greater quality. We\u2019re continuing to come up with ways of trying to make it even better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The company is also working on augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences, which can be accessed through a subscription service. \u201cThe idea is ultimately augmented reality in VR services and being able to watch live views with steerable cameras of spacecraft docking. Imagine viewing that in a VR headset!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sen\u2019s videos and livestream can be viewed via the Sen app, on the company\u2019s YouTube channel, or by selecting from the many different clips on its website at Sen.com.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Lead image: An image of a tropical cyclone from one of Sen\u2019s cameras. Credit: Sen)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"24\/7 Live 4K video of Earth and space: Livestream of Earth by Sen\u2019s 4K video cameras on the ISS\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fO9e9jnhYK8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" name=\"fitvid1\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sen is on a mission to democratize space through the use of high-quality video from above the Earth. The cameras it has launched into space so far include a free 4K video livestream from the International Space Station (ISS). NSF recently spoke with the company\u2019s CEO, Charles Black, who hopes these views will be accessed [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[717,233,8163,8164,265,8165,7851,3333],"class_list":["post-23870","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-international-space-station","tag-iss","tag-livestreams","tag-sen","tag-space-station","tag-spacetv-1","tag-station","tag-video"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23870"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23870"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23870\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23870"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23870"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23870"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}