DJI Action 6 cameras go to space (and back) on China's new Musk-beating reusable rocket – and the mission includes the unreleased Osmo 360 II
China launched its first self-landing reusable rocket – and the event was covered by DJI action cameras unmodified from the models you can buy in-store
China's new reusable rocket, the Landspace Zhuque-3, successfully launched on August 19, carrying 12 DJI consumer-grade cameras, including the upcoming Osmo 360 II, according to the company. The Osmo Action 6 camera withstood the extreme 932°F / 500°C conditions during the nine-minute flight, returning to Earth intact without any physical damage.
The company released unedited footage of the rocket's journey, which took off, traveled to space, and landed. The DJI team constructed special mounts for the cameras to endure the high-frequency, high-intensity vibrations and extreme heat of space flight. The camera recorded the entire flight in 4K, even through the re-entry blackout zone where no direct communication is possible.
DJI's adjustable aperture mechanism, though criticized by other companies, survived the journey with significant G-force. The Osmo Action 6's image stabilization algorithm managed to capture the footage despite the challenging conditions. The rocket, known as the Zhuque-3, is China's answer to SpaceX's Falcon 9, with a payload of 14.2 tonnes compared to the Falcon 9's 22.8 tonnes.
This launch marks a significant achievement for China, as previous attempts at reusable rockets required a net or catching device. The speed of China's rocket development and the use of off-the-shelf technology highlight the competition to make space exploration cheaper and more sustainable.
Written by urgent.news from Digital Camera World's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
