US astronauts on the International Space Station featured in Super Session that probes the future and demonstrates end-to-end live 4K, cloud-based workflow in HEVC for delivery to multiscreen devices
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced today it will produce the first-ever live 4K video stream from space during a Super Session at the 2017 NAB Show. “Reaching for the Stars: Connecting to the Future with NASA and Hollywood” will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 26 in room N249 of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC).
The panel is co-produced by NAB Show, NASA, and Amazon Web Services (AWS), and will explore how advanced imaging and cloud technologies are taking scientific research and filmmaking to the next level. The live feed from 250 miles above Earth will be encoded AWS Elemental encoding software on board the International Space Station (ISS) and on the ground at Johnson Space Center.
The US space agency is a pioneer in the application of advanced media – including 4K. By streaming real-time video that captures images four times the resolution of current HD technology, NASA is enhancing its ability to observe, uncover and adapt new knowledge of orbital and deep space.
During the NAB Show Super Session, a live 4K stream will enable NASA astronaut Dr. Peggy Whitson on the ISS to converse with AWS Elemental CEO and Co-founder Sam Blackman, who will be at the LVCC. In conjunction with the live 4K streaming event, NASA astronaut Dr. Tracy Caldwell Dyson and NASA Imagery Experts Program Manager Rodney Grubbs will take part in an LVCC-based panel discussion featuring Hollywood and technology leaders including Bernadette McDaid, head of development, VR & AR, Bau Entertainment; Khawaja Shams, vice president of Engineering for AWS Elemental; and Dr. Dave McQueeney, senior principal investigator, IBM Watson Group. The panel will be moderated by Carolyn Giardina, Technology Editor for the Hollywood Reporter.
NASA astronaut and Expedition 51 commander Peggy Whitson, onboard the space station since November, will speak to viewers in the highest resolution video ever broadcast live from space. In January she broke the female astronaut spacewalking record after completing the 8th EVA of her career.
The entire event will be available to the public for multiscreen viewing in live 4K and down-converted high definition (HD) video at https://live.awsevents.com/nasa4k. A video-on-demand (VOD) asset will be available after the event in lower resolutions on the NASA TV Channel and in both HD and 4K at https://live.awsevents.com/nasa4k. 4K-capable devices will be required to view 4K content. AWS Elemental will deliver the live stream of the event via an AWS workflow that includes AWS CloudWatch, Amazon Route 53, and the Amazon CloudFront Content Delivery Network (CDN) for public access in both 4K and HD. Roberts Communications Network LLC of Las Vegas, NV is providing the satellite downlink truck for the transmission from Johnson Space Center to the LVCC. Christie is providing full-resolution 4K projectors for in-room display during the Super Session.
Attendees will learn how:
- 4K and Ultra HD (UHD) give NASA scientists a clearer, crisper view of their experiments, Earth, and the solar system;
- Live 4K video will help take research to the next level and allow NASA scientists to share discoveries as they are happening – instead of after the fact;
- The powerful, first-ever live 4K streaming, cloud-enabled workflow from space works and how it can help commercial space endeavors and content creation;
- Hollywood and NASA inspire one another and the fascinating, surprising outcomes of this decades-long collaboration.
About NAB Show
NAB Show, held April 22-27, 2017 in Las Vegas, is the world’s largest convention encompassing The M.E.T. Effect, the convergence of media, entertainment and technology. With 103,000 attendees from 166 countries and 1,700+ exhibitors, NAB Show is the ultimate marketplace for solutions that transcend traditional broadcasting and embrace content delivery to new screens in new ways. From creation to consumption, across multiple platforms and countless nationalities, NAB Show is where global visionaries convene to bring content to life in new and exciting ways. For complete details, visit www.nabshow.com.
About NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association for America’s broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at www.nab.org.
