NASA Shuttle Discovery 2005 - Robinson Space Panorama

During the NASA Discovery mission of July 26-August 9, 2005, the astronaut Steve Robinson shot a self-portrait.

Related NASA Internet pages: Robinson Self-portrait Soichi in Space

Thank you to the astronaut Steve Robinson to have carried out the self-portrait in space. He undoubtedly did not imagine that panographers over the whole world would as a result be put to work!

How to transform a self-portrait into a spherical photograph 360°?

First extract the visible portion of the reflected image on the sun visor of the astronaut's helmet. Then apply image processing.

In theory, it is similar to Christmas tree balls, so why not with an astronaut's helmet? The sun visor should function like a spherical mirror? Except that the sun visor in question is not spherical, it is shaped like a balloon pressed in a vice on the level of the ears and it does not even cover a half-sphere! Hard, hard...

At the moment this image was taken, the shuttle was flying over the Mediterranean Sea. One can recognize Algeria at the top and the chain of the Atlas Mountains. On the right are Spain and France, with clouds over the Pyrennées. In the center of the Mediterranean Sea are the islands of Majorca and Minorca, and on the left is Italy.

Coordinates are those of Fornelli, a little town in southwestern Sardinia.

Europe / Italy

Lat: 41° 0' 19.8" N
Long: 8° 14' 17.16" E

Elevation: 15000 km

→ maps.google.com [EXT]

Precision is: Unknown / Undeclared.

One NASA photo, Panotools, Photoshop.