The Television Camera System Used in Apollo 7 and 8 Command Modules

Spaceborne television has been principally used in a remote instrumentation role. In the Apollo 7 and 8 flights an important additional function was that of public information, which required the use of design methods not customarily employed in spaceborne instrumentation television. The need to minimize the power for the communication link resulted in the choice of modified standards of scanning rates and resolution, which involved a consideration of trade-offs between picture quality and operating bandwidth. The nature of the mission dictated a design for minimum camera weight and minimum volume, with liberal use of integrated circuits. The possibility of operating the camera during the launch phase made it necessary to design for acceptable camera operation in the presence of acceleration and vibration. Since the busy schedule of the astronaut could not include time for camera adjustments, a highly reliable camera with fixed parameters was required.

Print ISSN

0361-4573

Published

1970-01

Content type

Original Research

DOI

10.5594/J16703