NASA to stream daily video feed from ISS

Streaming digital video showing activities inside and outside the International Space Station and the view of Earth from up there will now be available for about twelve hours every day, according to NASA. The feed will also contain audio of communications between Mission Control and the astronauts, including (for instance) live video of maintenance activities outside the station during today's prep for the incoming space shuttle.

The ISS is 200 miles up and moving at 17,500mph, posing a unique assortment of problems not encountered in the average video stream. Satellite coverage can occasionally drop out as well. (On the upside, there's a sunrise or a sunset every 45 minutes, and many views of activity outside show the Earth below looking ridiculously lovely.) When no spacewalks are underway, video will originate from inside the station during on-duty hours. Don't expect The Real World: ISS from the video setup, though; off-camera time is expected to run about 12 hours each day, from 2pm to 2am EDT. During those hours, the familiar location-and-path map will be streamed from Mission Control in Houston.