75 years ago, in October, there was an important German flight V-2 . missilesCaptured from the Nazis after the end of World War II – American scientists placed a camera on it and launched it from the White Sands Missile Range military base in New Mexico with the aim of capturing the first image of our planet from space. The missile has passed Karman line, that is, the imaginary boundary between the Earth’s atmosphere and outer space, with a height of about 104 kilometers.
During this time, a 35-mm camera took pictures of our planet every second and a half, and after a few minutes it was over – the rocket fell to Earth at a speed of 547 km / h. Fortunately, the camera, housed in a special protective case, has survived this trip and impact, and we can admire it The first image of our planet made from space… black and white and whole grain, but it’s one of the most unique of them all.
Nevertheless, the team continued their efforts and regularly sent V-2 rockets into space to study the upper atmosphere, so over the next five years, they took hundreds of similar images, thanks to which we slowly obtained a complete picture of the Earth as seen from the perspective of space, allowing the start of geological surveys The new meteorology. In short, the event was groundbreaking, but as it turns out, it didn’t end our fascination at all planets pictures.
To this day, we appreciate them very much, we make them at every possible opportunity and get better at it. Because technology has changed, modern photos are not like those taken in the 1940s and 1950s, and what’s more, they’re made using…smartphones. Just look at the photos shared by astronauts on the web Shenzhou 12, meaning the first manned flight as part of the construction of the Chinese space station Tiangong.
And while, as you can see, you do not need to have specialized high-resolution cameras at your disposal to photograph the Earth from space, it is certainly the most impressive. One of the newer ones was created as part of the September mission Inspiration 4, carried out by SpaceX with a Falcon 9 rocket and a Dragon capsule, which was also the first flight into orbit with amateur astronauts on board. It is unique in that it was created from a height greater than the International Space Station, so it offers a different viewpoint. We’ve definitely come a long way and it’s interesting what we’ll be able to say about it in the next 70 years.
Echo Richards embodies a personality that is a delightful contradiction: a humble musicaholic who never brags about her expansive knowledge of both classic and contemporary tunes. Infuriatingly modest, one would never know from a mere conversation how deeply entrenched she is in the world of music. This passion seamlessly translates into her problem-solving skills, with Echo often drawing inspiration from melodies and rhythms. A voracious reader, she dives deep into literature, using stories to influence her own hardcore writing. Her spirited advocacy for alcohol isn’t about mere indulgence, but about celebrating life’s poignant moments.
