UrtheCast Sends Cameras to Space

The rocket carrying UrtheCast’s cameras blasted off at 12:53 PST Monday

The B.C. company sends its high definition, streaming cameras into space aboard an unmanned Russian spacecraft

Amidst cheers and a celebratory countdown in Science World’s main atrium, Vancouver’s UrtheCast watched its cameras blast off into space amongst a crowd of supporters, investors and media.
 
Packed on a Russian cargo ship aboard a Soyuz rocket, the two cameras – one for shooting photos, the other for streaming videos – will be installed on the International Space Station (ISS) over the course of two space walks in the coming month.
 
UrtheCast President and COO Wade Larson called in to thank his team and investors on a choppy line from an underground bunker at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, where the rocket blasted off from shortly before 3 AM local time.
 
Speaking minutes before the launch, UrtheCast director of technology Dan Lopez delved into his company’s plans for 2014, which include a private beta launch of its API for developers and partners, and non-traditional means of monetization beyond just selling its data, including revenue sharing, advertising and media partnerships.
 
Lopez finished his spiel by paraphrasing Carl Sagan: “we have the full universe to work with in order to get you guys something that is really simple.”