In 2013, we will see the first high-definition streaming video platform of Earth.
UrtheCast is a international initiative between Canada, Russia, and the United Kingdom. UrtheCast is building and will operate the world’s first near-live HD Earth video stream, via two cameras mounted on the mounted to the underside of the Russian segment of theInternational Space Station (ISS).
The idea is that people will be able to view events as they happen, from the sky.
UrtheCast says their web platform will feel like a blending of a video version of GoogleEarth with the video playback and search functionality of YouTube. It will operate seamlessly with social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
This comes after news last month that the United States Geological Survey will be decommissioning their Landsat 5 satellite in the coming months.