{"id":784833,"date":"2024-06-27T10:10:01","date_gmt":"2024-06-27T15:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=784833"},"modified":"2024-06-27T10:10:01","modified_gmt":"2024-06-27T15:10:01","slug":"image-proba-2s-glimpse-of-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=784833","title":{"rendered":"Image: Proba-2’s glimpse of home"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n\n \n Credit: European Space Agency \n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
As ESA’s veteran Proba-2 mission monitors the sun, it also takes occasional glimpses back to its homeworld\u2014as seen in this expansive view of western Europe.<\/p>\n
On the underside of the washing-machine-sized satellite is an espresso-cup sized camera, the compact Exploration Camera, X-Cam, manufactured by Swiss company Micro-Cameras & Space Exploration. Observing in visible light, the monochrome X-Cam has a 100\u00b0 field of view.<\/p>\n
The X-Cam was one of 17 experimental technologies embarked on Proba-2 when it was launched back in 2009. The aim was to give these technologies early flight experiment, helping to market them to customers.<\/p>\n
Stephane Beauvivre, CEO of Micro-Cameras & Space Exploration comments, “We’re still using the X-Cam on Proba-2 occasionally\u2014it is very interesting in order to promote our products and show that it still works after all these years in orbit.<\/p>\n
“Since then we’ve flown other cameras that are used to monitor deployments of satellite appendages, as well as during planetary flybys, such as on Sentinel-1A, BepiColombo and Juice.<\/p>\n
“We have also recently delivered to NASA all the cameras\u2014providing navigation, hazard and aft views\u2014for the VIPER rover, which will mark NASA’s first lunar landing since the Apollo program.”<\/p>\n
\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvided by \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEuropean Space Agency<\/p>\n