DJI has announced that its Osmo Action 6 cameras have been to space and back. Twelve unmodified units were mounted on the first stage of the reusable Zhuque-3 rocket from LandSpace, a privately owned commercial aerospace company, marking the first time a consumer-grade action camera has served as a recording device for a rocket launch and recovery.
From ignition to recovery
The cameras were fixed at different critical positions on the rocket body and documented the entire sequence in first-person perspective: ignition and liftoff, the journey through the atmosphere, landing, and recovery. For the commercial spaceflight industry, where reusability is a key way to reduce costs, the high-fidelity native footage gives aerospace engineers a tool to review the recovery process, assess the first stage’s condition, and replicate what worked.
Surviving a 500C reentry
The conditions were extreme. Aerodynamic heating pushes the rocket body’s surface temperature to roughly 400C to 500C during ascent and return, while the engine and flight generate continuous high-frequency, high-intensity vibration. Passing through the atmosphere also involves the blackout zone, where external communication is lost entirely. The Osmo Action 6 handled all of it without any special modifications, which DJI says demonstrates surprising ruggedness for a mass-produced consumer camera.
What makes it possible
The camera’s new-generation stabilization algorithm filters out the image shake caused by the rocket body’s high-frequency vibration. Its 1/1.1-inch custom square large-format sensor supports recording up to 4K at 120fps with 13.5 stops of high dynamic range, letting it adapt to the complex lighting environment in space.
More than just the rocket cameras
Beyond the rocket-mounted units, DJI set up an on-site filming network using its full imaging ecosystem: the Mavic 4 Pro for aerial photography, the Matrice 4TD for thermal imaging, the upcoming Osmo 360 II for panoramic 360 coverage, and the Osmo Pocket 4P for cinematic-quality footage. Together they provided high-altitude tracking, thermal-imaging monitoring, and behind-the-scenes footage on the ground.
The Osmo Action 6 is available in the Philippines for PhP31,390. Meanwhile, the DJI Osmo 360 II is currently being teased and will soon become available in the Philippines as of this writing.
Founded in 2009 by Gian Viterbo, Gadget Pilipinas is one of Philippines’ top sources for news, tutorials, reviews and tips about the latest trends in technology, gadgets, games, social and digital media and cyber culture.
Gadget Pilipinas
Founded in 2009 by Gian Viterbo, Gadget Pilipinas is one of Philippines’ top sources for news, tutorials, reviews and tips about the latest trends in technology, gadgets, games, social and digital media and cyber culture.
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