Dec 3 1997
From The Space Library
Crew aboard Shuttle Columbia successfully released and operated the Autonomous Extra-vehicular Robotic Camera Sprint (AERCam Sprint). The 35-pound (16-kilogram), spherical camera propelled itself around the Shuttle after astronaut Winston E. Scott had released it during a spacewalk. The camera used periodic jet thrusts to maneuver, responding to control commands made from inside Columbia. The US$3 million camera transmitted images of Columbia and its crew back to Earth, providing unique vantage points for observation. The astronauts, who retrieved the small robotic device without any complications, concluded that it would be a helpful technology for future Shuttle missions and the ISS.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
