Nikon NASA F4
Encyclopedia
The Nikon NASA F4 Electronic Still Camera was one of the first and rarest fully digital cameras ever. Constructed for NASA
, it was first flown in September 1991 on board the Space Shuttle
Discovery, mission STS-48
. Later the cameras were flown on several other Shuttle missions including STS-44
, 45
, 42
, 49
, 53
, 56
and 61
.
Although the camera was often used alone mounted with its Electronics Box, the HERCULES system were build around it: Hand-held Earth-oriented Real-time Cooperative, User-friendly, Location, targeting, and Environmental System. It includes the first laptop in space mounted atop the Playback-Downlink Unit (PDU), HERCULES Attitude Processor (HAP), Electronic Still Camera (ESC) Electronics Box (ESCEB) including removable imagery data storage disks, NRL
HERCULES Inertial Measurement Unit (HIMU) with the three-axis ring laser gyroscope
, DA-20 action finder, a night vision
image intensifier
as well as asorted lenses
and cables.
capable cameras for the NASA since 1971, when they delivered a modified Nikon F
SLR
Photomic FTN camera with center-weighted TTL metering
system, which was first used on the Apollo 15
mission. In 1973, a newer modified version of the Nikon F with a motor drive was delivered for use in Skylab
. In 1980 and 1989, Nikon delivered modified, space capable F3
(big and small version) respectively F4
cameras to NASA, which were used in the Space Shuttle
.
Nikon gained knowledge on digital cameras by constructing the Nikon Still Video Camera (SVC) Model 1, a prototype which was first presented at Photokina
1986. The follower Nikon QV-1000C Still Video Camera was produced since 1988 mainly for professional press use. Both cameras used QV mount lenses, a variant of Nikon F-mount
lenses. Via an adapter (QM-100) other F-mount lenses can be fitted.
The Nikon NASA F4 was followed by the NASA-used Nikon-based Kodak DCS 460
, DCS 660 and DCS 760, Nikon D1
, D2X
, D2Xs, D3
, D3X
and the D3S
. The Nikon F-mount is the only 35mm SLR or DSLR Lens mount
ever used by NASA.
with standard F-mount and had a digital camera back
with a monochrome CCD
image sensor
with 1024 x 1024 pixel
s on an area of 15 x 15mm. Removable SCSI
hard-disks were used for digital storage of 40 images each with 8 bits per pixel. Images were transmitted to the ground via the orbiter digital downlinks.
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, it was first flown in September 1991 on board the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
Discovery, mission STS-48
STS-48
-Mission parameters:*Mass:**Orbiter landing with payload: **Payload: *Perigee: *Apogee: *Inclination: 57.0°*Period: 96.2 min-Mission highlights:...
. Later the cameras were flown on several other Shuttle missions including STS-44
STS-44
-Mission parameters:**Launch: **Orbiter landing with payload: **Payload: *Perigee: *Apogee: *Inclination: 28.5°*Period: 91.9 minutes-Mission highlights:The launch was on 24 November 1991 at 6:44:00 pm EST...
, 45
STS-45
STS-45 was a 1992 spaceflight using Space Shuttle Atlantis.-Crew:-Mission parameters:*Mass:**Orbiter landing with payload: **Payload: *Perigee: *Apogee: *Inclination: 57.0°*Period: 90.3 min...
, 42
STS-42
STS-42 was a Space Shuttle Discovery mission with the Spacelab module. Liftoff which was originally scheduled for 8:45 EST 22 January 1992, but the launch was delayed due to weather constraints. Discovery successfully lifted off an hour later at 9:52 EST . The main goal of the mission was to study...
, 49
STS-49
-Mission parameters:*Mass:**Orbiter landing with payload: **Payload: *Perigee: *Apogee: *Inclination: 28.35°*Period: 90.6 min-Space walks:* Thuot and Hieb – EVA 1*EVA 1 Start: 10 May 1992 – 20:40 UTC...
, 53
STS-53
-Mission parameters:*Mass:**Orbiter landing with payload: **Payload: *Perigee: *Apogee: *Inclination: 57.0°*Period: 92.0 min-Mission highlights:...
, 56
STS-56
STS-56 was a Space Shuttle Discovery mission to perform special experiments. The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 8 April 1993.-Crew:-Mission parameters:*Mass:**Orbiter landing with payload: **Payload:...
and 61
STS-61
STS-61 was the first Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, and the fifth flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. The mission launched on 2 December 1993 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission restored the spaceborne observatory's vision, marred by spherical aberration, with the...
.
Although the camera was often used alone mounted with its Electronics Box, the HERCULES system were build around it: Hand-held Earth-oriented Real-time Cooperative, User-friendly, Location, targeting, and Environmental System. It includes the first laptop in space mounted atop the Playback-Downlink Unit (PDU), HERCULES Attitude Processor (HAP), Electronic Still Camera (ESC) Electronics Box (ESCEB) including removable imagery data storage disks, NRL
United States Naval Research Laboratory
The United States Naval Research Laboratory is the corporate research laboratory for the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps and conducts a program of scientific research and development. NRL opened in 1923 at the instigation of Thomas Edison...
HERCULES Inertial Measurement Unit (HIMU) with the three-axis ring laser gyroscope
Ring laser gyroscope
A ring laser gyroscope consists of a ring laser having two counter-propagating modes over the same path in order to detect rotation. It operates on the principle of the Sagnac effect which shifts the nulls of the internal standing wave pattern in response to angular rotation...
, DA-20 action finder, a night vision
Night vision
Night vision is the ability to see in low light conditions. Whether by biological or technological means, night vision is made possible by a combination of two approaches: sufficient spectral range, and sufficient intensity range...
image intensifier
Image intensifier
An image intensifier tube is a vacuum tube device for increasing the intensity of available light in an optical system to allow use under low light conditions such as at night, to facilitate visual imaging of low-light processes such as fluorescence of materials to X-rays or gamma rays, or for...
as well as asorted lenses
Nikon F-mount
The Nikon F-mount is a type of interchangeable lens mount developed by Nikon for its 35 mm SLR cameras. The F-mount was first introduced on the Nikon F camera in 1959, and features a three lug bayonet mount with a 44 mm throat and a flange to focal plane distance of 46.5 mm...
and cables.
History
Nikon has been a supplier of space (EVA)Extra-vehicular activity
Extra-vehicular activity is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth, and outside of a spacecraft. The term most commonly applies to an EVA made outside a craft orbiting Earth , but also applies to an EVA made on the surface of the Moon...
capable cameras for the NASA since 1971, when they delivered a modified Nikon F
Nikon F
The Nikon F camera, introduced in 1959, was Nikon's first SLR camera. It was one of the most advanced cameras of its day. Although most of its concepts had already been introduced elsewhere, it was the first camera to combine them all in one camera. It was produced until October 1973 and was...
SLR
Single-lens reflex camera
A single-lens reflex camera is a camera that typically uses a semi-automatic moving mirror system that permits the photographer to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system, as opposed to pre-SLR cameras where the view through the viewfinder could be significantly...
Photomic FTN camera with center-weighted TTL metering
Through-the-lens metering
Through-the-lens metering is a photographic term describing a feature of cameras capable of measuring light levels in a scene through their taking lenses, as opposed to a separate metering window...
system, which was first used on the Apollo 15
Apollo 15
Apollo 15 was the ninth manned mission in the American Apollo space program, the fourth to land on the Moon and the eighth successful manned mission. It was the first of what were termed "J missions", long duration stays on the Moon with a greater focus on science than had been possible on previous...
mission. In 1973, a newer modified version of the Nikon F with a motor drive was delivered for use in Skylab
Skylab
Skylab was a space station launched and operated by NASA, the space agency of the United States. Skylab orbited the Earth from 1973 to 1979, and included a workshop, a solar observatory, and other systems. It was launched unmanned by a modified Saturn V rocket, with a mass of...
. In 1980 and 1989, Nikon delivered modified, space capable F3
Nikon F3
The Nikon F3 was Nikon's third professional single-lens reflex camera body, preceded by the F and F2. Introduced in 1980, it had manual and semi-automatic exposure control whereby the camera would select the correct shutter speed . The Nikon F3 series cameras had the most model variations of any...
(big and small version) respectively F4
Nikon F4
The Nikon F4 was a 35mm autofocus single lens reflex film camera, first introduced in 1988 as the next generation in Nikon's line of F series professional cameras...
cameras to NASA, which were used in the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
.
Nikon gained knowledge on digital cameras by constructing the Nikon Still Video Camera (SVC) Model 1, a prototype which was first presented at Photokina
Photokina
The photokina is the world's largest trade fair for the photographic and imaging industries. The first photokina was held in Cologne, Germany, in 1950, and it is now held biannually in September at the koelnmesse Trade Fair and Exhibition Centre...
1986. The follower Nikon QV-1000C Still Video Camera was produced since 1988 mainly for professional press use. Both cameras used QV mount lenses, a variant of Nikon F-mount
Nikon F-mount
The Nikon F-mount is a type of interchangeable lens mount developed by Nikon for its 35 mm SLR cameras. The F-mount was first introduced on the Nikon F camera in 1959, and features a three lug bayonet mount with a 44 mm throat and a flange to focal plane distance of 46.5 mm...
lenses. Via an adapter (QM-100) other F-mount lenses can be fitted.
The Nikon NASA F4 was followed by the NASA-used Nikon-based Kodak DCS 460
Kodak DCS 400 series
The Kodak DCS 400 series was a series of Nikon based digital SLR cameras with sensor and added electronics produced by Eastman Kodak.The cameras in this series include the 1.5-megapixel DCS 420 , the 1.5-mpx DCS 410 , and the 6.2-mpx DCS 460...
, DCS 660 and DCS 760, Nikon D1
Nikon D1
The Nikon D1 is a digital single-lens reflex camera introduced on June 15, 1999. It featured a 2.7 megapixel image sensor, 4.5 frames per second continuous shooting, and accepted the full range of Nikon F-mount lenses...
, D2X
Nikon D2X
The Nikon D2X is a 12.4 megapixel professional digital single-lens reflex camera that Nikon Corporation announced on September 16, 2004. The D2X was the high resolution flagship in Nikon's DSLR line until June 2006 when it was supplanted by the D2Xs and later on by two new flagship cameras: the...
, D2Xs, D3
Nikon D3
The Nikon D3 is a 12.1 megapixel professional grade full frame digital single lens reflex camera announced by the Nikon Corporation on 23 August 2007 along with the Nikon D300 DX format camera. The D3, along with the Nikon D3X, was a flagship model in Nikon's line of DSLRs, superseding the D2Hs...
, D3X
Nikon D3X
The Nikon D3X is a 24.5 megapixel professional-grade full frame digital single-lens reflex camera announced by the Nikon Corporation on 1 December 2008. The D3X is the third camera in Nikon's line to offer a full frame sensor, following the D3 and D700...
and the D3S
Nikon D3S
The Nikon D3S is a 12.1 megapixel professional-grade full frame digital single-lens reflex camera announced by Nikon Corporation on 14 October 2009. The D3S is the fourth camera in Nikon's line to feature a full frame sensor, following the D3, D700 and D3X. It is also Nikon's first full frame...
. The Nikon F-mount is the only 35mm SLR or DSLR Lens mount
Lens mount
A lens mount is an interface — mechanical and often also electrical — between a photographic camera body and a lens. It is confined to cameras where the body allows interchangeable lenses, most usually the single lens reflex type or any movie camera of 16 mm or higher gauge...
ever used by NASA.
Technology
The camera was based on an modified F4Nikon F4
The Nikon F4 was a 35mm autofocus single lens reflex film camera, first introduced in 1988 as the next generation in Nikon's line of F series professional cameras...
with standard F-mount and had a digital camera back
Digital camera back
A digital camera back is a device that attaches to the back of a camera in place of a film holder and contains an electronic image sensor. This lets cameras that were designed to use film take digital photographs...
with a monochrome CCD
Charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time...
image sensor
Image sensor
An image sensor is a device that converts an optical image into an electronic signal. It is used mostly in digital cameras and other imaging devices...
with 1024 x 1024 pixel
Pixel
In digital imaging, a pixel, or pel, is a single point in a raster image, or the smallest addressable screen element in a display device; it is the smallest unit of picture that can be represented or controlled....
s on an area of 15 x 15mm. Removable SCSI
SCSI
Small Computer System Interface is a set of standards for physically connecting and transferring data between computers and peripheral devices. The SCSI standards define commands, protocols, and electrical and optical interfaces. SCSI is most commonly used for hard disks and tape drives, but it...
hard-disks were used for digital storage of 40 images each with 8 bits per pixel. Images were transmitted to the ground via the orbiter digital downlinks.