Olympus marks its 90th anniversary with the Olympus Space Project, “to photograph the majestic beauty of our planet and raise awareness to protect it.â€
The company’s flagship E-3 digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera and ZUIKO digital lenses will journey to the International Space Station (ISS) on the next Space Shuttle Discovery mission. Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata will take photos of the earth from space with the Olympus E-3 throughout his three-month mission on the ISS. Dr. Kawata will stay in the Kibo (Hope), Japan’s first manned facility in the ISS where astronauts can conduct experiments for long periods of time.
“For 90 years we’ve continued to develop innovative products that help improve peoples’ lives every day – from capturing memories to documenting environmental changes,†said F. Mark Gumz, president, Olympus Imaging America Inc. “Olympus cameras are used by the National Park Service to track air quality at our nation’s parks and by wildlife photographer Mitsuaki Iwago, whose images focus on global environmental issues and nature preservation. We’re taking this commitment to the next level by capturing our planet’s delicate beauty from space.â€
[Site: Olympus Space Project]