PLATO webcameras

The original PLATO observatory had four wireless Linksys WVC-2300 webcams and four Watec video cameras that feed into an Axis video digitiser. The Watec cameras have been cold tested to below –80°C and did not require any heating except for the occasional deicing of the lens, making them ideal for use in Antarctica. The four cameras were mounted on the roof of the instrument module and were used to monitor the external experiments and engine module. Every hour or so, the supervisor computers pushed a new set of camera images to the rest of the world via the Iridium satellite network.