24 Oct 1946 -- 66 years ago

Platapus · 10-23-12, 07:05 PM

24 Oct 12 marks the 66th anniversary of the first picture of the earth taken from space.

The United States placed a 35mm movie camera in the payload area of a German V-2 Rocket. The rocket achieved an altitude of 65 miles.

The Karman line establishes the boundary to space at 100km or about 63 miles.

This made it the first space craft to take a picture of the earth. Since the V-2 had no re-entry or recovery system, the film of the movie camera was moved to a heavy steel case after being exposed. When the V-2 rocket crashed to the New Mexico desert at about 350mph, the recover team went to the crater and were surprised to find that the steel case survived and so did the film.

Prior to this 1946 experiment, the highest altitude photograph was taken by the Explorer II balloon which reached an altitude of just over 13 miles in 1935.

Between 1946 and 1950 more than 1,000 pictures of the earth were taken by V-2 rockets. One reached an altitude of 100 miles. Pretty good for the late 1940's

First picture of the earth taken from space.

10-23-12, 07:05 PM	#1
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,360 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	24 Oct 1946 -- 66 years ago 24 Oct 12 marks the 66th anniversary of the first picture of the earth taken from space. The United States placed a 35mm movie camera in the payload area of a German V-2 Rocket. The rocket achieved an altitude of 65 miles. The Karman line establishes the boundary to space at 100km or about 63 miles. This made it the first space craft to take a picture of the earth. Since the V-2 had no re-entry or recovery system, the film of the movie camera was moved to a heavy steel case after being exposed. When the V-2 rocket crashed to the New Mexico desert at about 350mph, the recover team went to the crater and were surprised to find that the steel case survived and so did the film. Prior to this 1946 experiment, the highest altitude photograph was taken by the Explorer II balloon which reached an altitude of just over 13 miles in 1935. Between 1946 and 1950 more than 1,000 pictures of the earth were taken by V-2 rockets. One reached an altitude of 100 miles. Pretty good for the late 1940's First picture of the earth taken from space. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.