Bringing the perspective of viewing Earth from space into daily life

Bascule Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Masayoshi Masuda) and Nippon Television Network Corporation (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Hiroyuki Fukuda) have jointly released 'TerraCaster,' a next-generation Earth observation platform utilizing meteorological satellite data. Starting with this project, both companies aim to expand the possibilities of new space entertainment by promoting the utilization of space data. TerraCaster is an innovative platform that interpolates images captured at 10-minute intervals by the Himawari weather satellite, located approximately 36,000 km above the equator, to display smooth footage as if it were a live camera. The Earth shown in the footage is strictly consistent with the actual 10-minute observation images, with interpolation used only to smooth the transitions between observations. The footage displays the 'current Earth' as of at least one hour ago, with a sense of realism and impact as if viewed from the perspective of an astronaut returning from the moon. On June 5th, World Environment Day, collaborations with companies including LIVE BOARD will bring TerraCaster to over 60 digital signages in major cities across Japan. Additionally, at the Toranomon Hills station vision, viewers can experience the dynamism of the Earth in 11K ultra-high-definition. The development background stems from the combination of Bascule's expertise in space media services, such as the KIBO Space Broadcasting Station, and Nippon TV's expertise in program production and distribution, aiming to evolve satellite data into content with high social value. TerraCaster handles only the actual observed appearance of the Earth. It does not create new, unobserved imagery, ensuring it can be used with confidence as fact-based footage for everything from news to education. In addition to the visual evolution of weather information, the companies will actively promote the development of UI/UX with an eye toward future commercial service.