This video, provided by the German space agency, DLR, contains a compilation of background footage for the STS-99 [SRTM] Mission, which is due to be launched by Space Shuttle Endeavour, from the Kennedy Space Centre, on 11 February, 2000.
The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, on which ESA astronaut Gerhard Thiele is one of 6 crew members, will collect radar data, using a technique called SAR interferometry, providing scientists with a 3-D model of 80 percent of the planet's surface, including sparsely populated areas of desert and forest. The objective is to demonstrate the technology for obtaining high-resolution digital topographic mapping of the Earth. Benefits will include improved forecasting of environmental conditions, increased navigational safety, help with urban planning and road construction.
The SRTM payload is a joint project between NASA, NIMA (National Image and Mapping Agency), DLR (German Aerospace Centre) and ASI (Italian Space Agency).
This tape includes footage of the two previous shuttle

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