Update: The spacewalk mission is now over, but you should definitely bookmark the link because today’s footage was great and best of all, it was live! The camera is now alternating between space and mission control on the ground as seen below.

I firstly reported that NASA would broadcast live missions from the astronauts helmet cameras during space walks. When there are no spacewalks, NASA said it would aim the live web camera on the space station towards earth for everyone to see live. After all this time, there is a mission being broadcasted live right now. Make sure you check it out now with full audio from mission control. There is about another hour left to this mission…very kool! Today’s mission lasted 6 hours and was aimed at installing equipment that would be used to collect energy from the sun.

Update: I just checked out the webcam, it is now showing the picture above as of 12am Friday Mar 3 2009.

NASA has just announced that a camera on the International Space Station will be used as a webcam to broadcast live images of the earth on the Internet whenever the astronauts or NASA are not using the powerful camera. When there is no current feed (such as right now), a simple picture as the one seen below is displayed. NASA says the camera will be aimed towards the earth for the world to see online. So, make sure you check it out and bookmark it to see what its really like when its up. Pretty kool, to say the least.

President Obama has earmarked an additional $2.4 billion over 2008 to $18.7 billion in NASA funding for 2010 but will also retire the current space shuttle program. U.S. Space Foundation CEO Elliot Pulham said, “It is far from what is needed if the U.S. is to stimulate the economy, create more high-tech jobs, and hold on to its eroding leadership position in space.” If Obama retires the current space shuttle program, the U.S. will not have a shuttle by at least 2015. The new increased funding is aimed at developing space-based sensors to monitor global greenhouse gases and global warming.