HDNet was on hand July 4 to provide HD coverage of NASA’s return to manned space flight with the liftoff of the Space Shuttle Discovery and its crew as they embarked on mission STS-121
Using as many as 14 cameras positioned throughout the Kennedy Space Center, HDNet's live coverage of the launch included behind-the-scenes access to the astronauts as they suited up and boarded the shuttle, complete with their pre-launch routine inside the crew module.
The complex task of producing a live, multi-camera, high-definition telecast of this historic event required extensive equipment and technical support. HDNet installed 1080i cameras in various positions ranging from atop the 550ft Vehicle Assembly Building to the White Room — the entry hatch into the Shuttle itself. NASA cameras provided close-up views of the exterior of the shuttle and of the astronauts once they were inside the crew module.
HDNet deployed a special Canon DIGI SUPER 100xs lens with image stabilization capable of a 1860mm focal length, enabling an HD camera to follow Discovery 33mi into the earth's atmosphere.
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