A timelapse of Planet Earth from Electro-L satellite
A timelapse of Planet Earth from Electro-L, a geostationary satellite orbiting 40000km above the Earth. The satellite creates a 121 megapixel image every 30 minutes with four visible and infrared light wavelengths. The infrared light appears orange in these images, and shows vegetation. The images were obtained beginning on May 14th, 2011 and end on May 20th. The images are the largest whole disk images of our planet, the resolution is 1 kilometre per pixel. The images are "masked" by a circular barrier that blocks out the light of the Sun and other stars. This is to prevent damage to the camera by exposure to direct sunlight. The images have been interpolated (blended) to create a smooth animation.
The Russian Zenit 3F rocket with a Fregat-SB upper stage has successfully launched the geosynchronous Electro-L 1 hydrometeorological satellite from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, at 1229 GMT, , 20th January, 2011.
A Russian Zenit 3F rocket with a Fregat-SB upper stage is scheduled to launch the geosynchronous Electro-L 1 hydrometeorological satellite from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, at 12:27 GMT, 25th December, 2010. The satellite will poerate from a geostationary orbit at the nominal location of 76º East. The total mass of the satellite is about 1620 kg and has a operational life of 10 years.
