Kodak in Space

Yahoo: Kodak CCD Image Sensors are used in the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS), an in-flight imaging system attached to the end of a 50-foot robotic arm that is used by shuttle astronauts to scan the underside of the orbiter for possible damage before landing. The OBSS is next scheduled to be used on the upcoming mission for space shuttle Discovery, planned for launch on May 31.

Used across the shuttle fleet, the OBSS incorporates a camera designed by Adimec, a leading producer of advanced camera systems located in the Netherlands. The camera is based on the KODAK KAI-2093 Image Sensor, a 1920 x 1080 interline transfer CCD imager that provides up to 30 images per second for high-definition image capture.

Another Kodak sensor is used in the Earth Viewing Camera, a fixed-point Earth-observing camera located on the International Space Station, designed to capture color images of the Earth’s surface to help increase public awareness of the Space Station. Installed in February 2008, the camera is based on the KODAK KAI-4021 Image Sensor, a 4MP device that includes electronic shuttering capability, a feature critical to preserving the robustness of this camera design by eliminating the need for a mechanical shutter.

Surprisingly, these space-based products use image sensors that are unmodified from those available from Kodak for use on earth.

Since 1995, shuttle astronauts have used a series of handheld KODAK PROFESSIONAL DCS Cameras to capture high-resolution images of their activities while in space. These cameras, all utilizing KODAK CCD Image Sensors, have to date captured over 130,000 total images, and remain in operation today for use on both the shuttle as well as the International Space Station. The KODAK KAF-6303 Image Sensor, a 6-million pixel device used for medical and scientific imaging applications, is a derivative of the sensor used in those cameras, and remains available today.

In addition to operation on the shuttle fleet and the International Space Station, KODAK CCD Image Sensors can also be found in orbit around the Earth, Mars, and Venus, as well as on the surface of Mars (as well as the Earth). Upcoming missions will expand the use of KODAK Image Sensors to include satellites in orbit around both the Moon and Jupiter.