Ustream has a great set of channels. I tend to watch the Nasa HD ones. They have just added a superb one. It is the ISS HD Earth Viewing Experiment.

Click on the image to see the live camera views

The channel has been active since the end of April this year. It comprises of a number of earth facing cameras mounted externally to the payload system. There are cuts in transmission when there is no satellite coverage but that is to be expected. I highly recommend it as I find it one of the most relaxing live video feeds. No one would have believed that in 2014 we have the ability to watch live images of the Earth.

It was the anniversary of the first American in space, Alan Shepard’s 1961 trip aboard the Mercury ‘Freedom 7’ capsule, on May 5th. He was a brave man as the Mercury was a tin can compared with later technology.
 

The photograph he took out of the window was a showstopper at the time. It showed the earth in what has become an iconic image. He was the first American to look down at the Earth. How strange that now we take it for granted that we can now see further into the universe than ever before and now can watch the Earth live……..from space. Thank you Mr Shepard.