Richmond’s MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (TSX: MDA) has signed a $4.2 million contract with Vancouver’s UrtheCast Inc., a subsidiary of Earth Video Camera Inc., as part of the UrtheCast project to stream live HD video of Earth from the International Space Station back to Earth.
The UrtheCast (pronounced “Earth Cast”) project will use two high-definition telescopic video cameras to provide a live video feed of sections of the Earth. The cameras will be flown to the space station during a Russian space mission.
Starting in mid-2012, video data of the Earth collected by the UrtheCast cameras will be down-linked to ground stations around the planet and then displayed in near-real time on www.UrtheCast.com.
The cameras will stream pictures and constant, near-live video to Earth for educational purposes. It will also provide environmental information and disaster monitoring.
As the space station passes over a certain geographic location, users will be able to track its progress and access video data and imagery of the area – like a live, HD version of Google Earth.
“We are thrilled to have MDA as part of this project and to be able to add them to a team that already includes RSC Energia, Rutherford Appleton Labs in the U.K., and the Russian Federal Space Agency,” said UrtheCast president Scott Larson.
“A project like this is obviously quite involved and complex, and MDA is the right partner. We look forward to working closely with them on a variety of fronts over the duration of this project.”
