Camera, Payload Bay, Shuttle

This is one of four closed circuit television cameras that were mounted in the space shuttle orbiter's payload bay, two near the edges of the forward bulkhead and two positioned likewise on the aft wall. With a good view of equipment and activities in and near the orbiter, these video cameras were valuable for documenting extravehicular activities, satellite deployments, and payload operations. The payload bay cameras could be controlled by the onboard crew or by Mission Control to pan, tilt, zoom, focus, and do other movements. They could record in black and white or color, depending on the lens installed before flight. This camera belonged to space shuttle orbiter Discovery but was removed from the aft starboard position to permit its study and display. The other three video cameras remain installed in Discovery's payload bay. NASA transferred Discovery and its core equipment to the Museum in 2012 after the space shuttle program ended.