Unmanned Low Earth Orbit - Under Constant Observation

Ballistic missile flights had given us the first images of Earth from space. For our planned journey to the edge of the solar system, the distance covered was roughly equivalent to stepping out the front door when embarking on a long journey. Many of the images obtained were also more or less products of chance. The cameras on board the rockets could see the Earth’s surface or the horizon, there were no more control options. Also, only the immediate vicinity of the launch site came into view for the duration of the short flight, while the entire Earth was beyond all possibilities.