From Raspberry Pi to the International Space Station: How Liam Kennedy Revolutionized Our View of Earth
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In a fascinating conversation on This Week in Space, hosts Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik welcomed Liam Kennedy, the innovative mind behind ISS Above and Space TV Director for SEN (the Space Earth Network). Kennedy's journey from space enthusiast to pioneering entrepreneur offers an inspiring look at how passion projects can evolve into groundbreaking space technology, inspiring people worldwide.
The Space Enthusiast's Origin Story
Kennedy's fascination with space began at just six years old, watching the Apollo moon landing from his home in the UK. "At six years old I was the guy in the UK—where I'm from—and I was the reason that my whole family had to stay up all night and wait for the moon landing to happen," Kennedy recalled during the interview. This early fascination eventually led him to establish a software development company, explore live streaming technologies, and become deeply involved in astronomy outreach.
As president of Orange County Astronomers and host of a public access TV show called Look Up Tonight, Kennedy found himself regularly pointing out the International Space Station to audiences who were often unaware it even existed. This realization sparked the creation of ISS Above in 2013 – a clever Raspberry Pi-based device that tracks the space station and lights up whenever it passes overhead.
From Tracking to Viewing: The Birth of SEN
The story took a significant turn in 2019 when NASA's High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) experiment – which had been streaming views of Earth from the ISS since 2014 – finally failed after years of service. Kennedy, who had integrated these feeds into his ISS Above devices deployed in schools and science centers worldwide, recognized the need for a replacement.
Enter SEN, founded by Charles Black with the mission of streaming live views of Earth from space for free public access. Kennedy joined forces with SEN, combining his passion for space awareness with SEN's technical capabilities. Together, they've installed a sophisticated camera system on the International Space Station's Bartolomeo platform on the Columbus module.
The Technology: 4K Eyes in Orbit
What makes SEN's achievement remarkable is the quality and positioning of their camera system. Unlike NASA's older cameras with limited capabilities, SEN's system boasts six 4K cameras – two pointing at docking ports, two looking down at Earth, and two capturing the horizon. This strategic positioning allows for breathtaking views that were previously impossible, including spectacular footage of spacecraft operations such as Starliner's undocking.
The system began live streaming just 30 minutes before Starliner's undocking – talk about perfect timing! The resulting footage was so exceptional that flight controllers at Johnson Space Center and astronaut Chris Hadfield were watching SEN's feed during the historic moment.
More Than Just Pretty Pictures: The Overview Effect
Beyond the technological achievement, Kennedy emphasized the deeper purpose behind making these views accessible. He spoke passionately about the "overview effect" – a cognitive shift reported by astronauts when viewing Earth from space – and how bringing these perspectives to the public can inspire positive action.
Kennedy shared stories of ISS Above users who, after watching Earth from space with neighbors, were inspired to organize neighborhood clean-ups. "That's orbital perspective," Kennedy explained, "where you take that transformation and then you do something on the ground that improves the way you're living."
Looking to the Future
With the ISS scheduled for deorbiting in the 2030s, Kennedy and SEN are already looking toward the future. They're designing next-generation camera systems with even more capabilities and eyeing positions on upcoming commercial space stations, lunar missions, and other orbital platforms. The goal remains consistent: to be "the eyes" for humanity wherever humans venture in space.
The SEN business model makes these incredible views available for free to the public through platforms like YouTube, while generating revenue through advertising and licensing the footage for commercial use.
For space enthusiasts, educators, or anyone who appreciates our planet's beauty, Kennedy's work bridges the gap between Earth and orbit, bringing the astronaut's perspective to everyone with an internet connection.
Want to hear the full conversation, including Liam's detailed explanation of how they got cameras approved for the ISS, the technical challenges of space-rated equipment, and more fascinating space news including NASA budget cuts, Boeing Starliner delays, and the world's first polar crewed mission? Listen to the complete episode of This Week in Space wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow SEN's incredible live Earth views on YouTube by searching for the SEN channel or visiting sen.com.
