List of cameras on the International Space Station
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The International Space Station has a large number of cameras, lenses, and other photography equipment on board.
List of cameras on ISS
Currently used
| Model | First use | Type | Video resolution | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikon Z9 | 2024 | Full frame mirrorless | 8K | Primary stills and video camera used by astronauts for various purposes.[1][2] |
| Canon XF705 | 2021 | Camcorder | 720p | Hardwired to the station. Used to broadcast astronaut interviews, film science experiments, and by Mission Control Houston to visually monitor station activities.[3] |
| iPad | 2011 | Tablet | 4K | Various models used for many different purposes.[4] |
| Nikon D5 | 2017 | Full frame DSLR | 1080p | Stills camera in a protective housing carried by astronauts during EVAs. Formerly the primary stills and video camera used by astronauts.[5][6][7] |
| Nikon D4 / EHDC | 2013 | Full frame DSLR | 720p | Remotely operated HD video/stills cameras with zoom lenses mounted on the exterior of the space station in a metal housing, some on a pan/tilt mount. Formerly the primary stills camera used by astronauts.[8][9][7][10] |
| ETVCG | 2000 | CCD-TV | 480i | Standard definition video-only CCD cameras mounted on the exterior of the space station with pan/tilt mounts.[11][12] |
| SpaceTV-1 | 2024 | Custom camera system | 4K | Custom external payload by Sen corporation to livestream 4K video. Contains 3 pairs of cameras with different views from the front of the Columbus module. Streams one camera at a time.[13][14] |
Used previously
| Model | First use | Type | Description[15][16] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kodak DCS760 | 2001 | APS-H DSLR | Digital stills camera used by astronauts in the International Space Station[17] |
| Nikon D1 | 2002 | APS-C DSLR | First consumer digital Nikon camera brought to the station made entirely by Nikon.[18] |
| Nikon D1X | 2005 | APS-C DSLR | Formerly the primary stills camera used by astronauts |
| Nikon D2Xs | 2007 | APS-C DSLR | Formerly the primary stills camera used by astronauts inside and during EVAs |
| Nikon D3 | 2009 | Full frame DSLR | Formerly the primary stills camera used by astronauts.[19] |
| Nikon D3X | 2009 | Full frame DSLR | Formerly the primary stills camera used by astronauts.[20] |
| Nikon D3S | 2010 | Full frame DSLR | Formerly the primary stills camera used by astronauts.[21][22] |
| Nikon D800E | 2014 | Full frame DSLR | Extra camera that was used alongside the D4. Special edition of the D800 to capture sharper images.[23] |
| Nikon D850 | 2019 | Full frame DSLR | Extra camera that was used alongside the D5. Had a higher resolution sensor. |
| Nikon D6 | 2022 | Full frame DSLR | Secondary model of camera that was briefly used by astronauts. |
| RED EPIC-M DRAGON 6K | 2015 | Cinema | Cinema camera, used for science in the Space Station and to shoot ultra high definition video.[24] |
| RED Helium 8K | 2018 | Cinema | Cinema camera, occasionally shot 8K video around the space station. Shot the first 8K video from the ISS.[25][26] |
| Canon XF305 | 2010 | Camcorder | Formerly hardwired to the station. Was used to broadcast astronaut interviews, film science experiments, and by mission control to visually monitor station activities |
Camera payloads
| Mission name | First light | End of mission | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urthecast first generation | 2014 | 2016 | Two cameras used to image the Earth with one that images with a ground sample distance of 1 meter per pixel.[27] |
| High Definition Earth Viewing experiment | 2014 | 2019 | Livestreamed from one of multiple cameras in 720p. Used to test the viability of using off the shelf consumer cameras in low Earth orbit.[28] |
| Sony a7S II | 2016 | Unknown | External camera system on Kibo that shot 4K video with a Sony FE PZ 28-135mm F4 G OSS lens on a Sony a7S II mirrorless camera.[29] |
| SpaceTV-1 | 2024 | Future | Custom external payload by Sen corporation to livestream 4K video. Contains 3 pairs of cameras with different views from the front of the Columbus module. Streams one camera at a time.[13] |
Camera equipment
Some of the modular lenses that are known to be used on the ISS include several Nikon F and 15 Nikon Z lenses, for cameras such as the D4 and Z9.[30][31] This includes the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR, the Nikkor 600mm f/4G AF-S VR ED,[32] the Nikon 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR, and the Nikon AF-S FX TC-14E III 1.4x Teleconverter.[30] 15 Nikon FTZ adapters are also used.[31]