NASA TV
Encyclopedia
NASA TV is the television service of the United States government agency NASA
. NASA TV is broadcast by satellite
with a simulcast
over the Internet
. Local cable television
systems across the U.S. and amateur television
repeater
s may carry NASA TV at their discretion, as NASA-created content is considered a work of the U.S. government and is in the public domain
. The network was formally created in the early 1980s to provide NASA managers and engineers with real-time video of missions. NASA has operated a television service since the beginning of the space program for archival purposes, and in order to provide media outlets with video footage.
The network airs a large amount of educational programming, and provides live coverage of an array of manned missions, including the Space Shuttle
and International Space Station
(ISS), robotic missions, and international launches. The network completed its conversion from analog
to digital
transmission in late 2005 following the launch of STS-114
, ending a period of dual analog and digital broadcasting, although some cable television systems may still have transmitted in analog prior to the U.S. digital television transition
. The satellite link uses the DVB-S
system for transmission.
aimed toward the general public. The "Education Channel" provides space and science programming for school
s, museum
s, and other educational institutions. The "Media Channel" is dedicated to broadcast news organizations and other members of the press, featuring press release video, interviews, mission press conferences and other services. The final is the "Space Operations Channel", an internal, encrypted
feed for NASA spaceflight operations.A high definition
simulcast of the "Public Channel" launched on July 19, 2010.
The NASA TV website also provides a channel featuring continuous live footage from inside and outside the ISS, established to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the station in orbit, as well as a continuous audio-only channel of ISS and Shuttle mission audio.
footage for news and media outlets; Education File, which provides special programming for schools; This Week @ NASA, which shows news from NASA centers around the country; and NASA Edge
and NASA 360
, hosted programs that focus on various projects and activities within NASA. Live ISS coverage and related commentary is aired in hour-long segments throughout the day.
The network also provides an array of live programming, such as 24-hour coverage of Space Shuttle
missions, ISS events (spacewalks, media interviews, educational broadcasts), press conferences and rocket launches. These often include running commentary by members of the NASA Public Affairs Office who serve as the "voice of Mission Control", including Rob Navias, Josh Byerly
, Nicole Cloutier and Brandi Dean.
and support from other Canadian broadcasters and members of the public, NASA TV had been added to the lists of eligible satellite services.
, QuickTime
, Windows Media
, and Flash Video.
In July 2005, NASA entered into an agreement with Yahoo!
and Akamai Technologies
to provide streaming services for NASA TV ahead of the STS-114
mission and associated Return to Flight program after the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
. , NASA has entered agreements with Ustream
to provide high definition streaming of NASA TV and high definition cameras aboard the International Space Station, along with mission audio. Archives of press conferences, NASA Tweetup
s, and other events are also made available via UStream. Other NASA TV programs and events are archived via the NASA TV YouTube
channel.
with the Governor's Award for Lifetime Achievement in recognition of NASA's 50th anniversary. On August 22, NASA TV was awarded a national Primetime Emmy Award
, the Philo T. Farnsworth Award
, for engineering excellence in recognition of the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11
's first television broadcast from the surface of the moon.
, QuickTime
and Flash
formats
Other NASA video feeds
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
. NASA TV is broadcast by satellite
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
with a simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
over the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. Local cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
systems across the U.S. and amateur television
Amateur television
Amateur television is the transmission of Broadcast quality video and audio over the wide range of frequencies of allocated for Radio amateur use. ATV is used for non-commercial experimentation, pleasure and public service events...
repeater
Repeater
A repeater is an electronic device that receives asignal and retransmits it at a higher level and/or higher power, or onto the other side of an obstruction, so that the signal can cover longer distances.-Description:...
s may carry NASA TV at their discretion, as NASA-created content is considered a work of the U.S. government and is in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
. The network was formally created in the early 1980s to provide NASA managers and engineers with real-time video of missions. NASA has operated a television service since the beginning of the space program for archival purposes, and in order to provide media outlets with video footage.
The network airs a large amount of educational programming, and provides live coverage of an array of manned missions, including the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
and International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
(ISS), robotic missions, and international launches. The network completed its conversion from analog
Analog television
Analog television is the analog transmission that involves the broadcasting of encoded analog audio and analog video signal: one in which the message conveyed by the broadcast signal is a function of deliberate variations in the amplitude and/or frequency of the signal...
to digital
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
transmission in late 2005 following the launch of STS-114
STS-114
-Original crew:This mission was to carry the Expedition 7 crew to the ISS and bring home the Expedition 6 crew. The original crew was to be:-Mission highlights:...
, ending a period of dual analog and digital broadcasting, although some cable television systems may still have transmitted in analog prior to the U.S. digital television transition
DTV transition in the United States
The DTV transition in the United States was the switchover from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting of free over-the-air television programming...
. The satellite link uses the DVB-S
DVB-S
DVB-S is an abbreviation for Digital Video Broadcasting — Satellite; it is the original Digital Video Broadcasting forward error coding and demodulation standard for satellite television and dates from 1994, in its first release, while development lasted from 1993 to 1997...
system for transmission.
Channels
NASA TV operates four channels. The "Public Channel" provides 24-hour broadcasting of live and recorded events and documentariesDocumentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
aimed toward the general public. The "Education Channel" provides space and science programming for school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
s, museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s, and other educational institutions. The "Media Channel" is dedicated to broadcast news organizations and other members of the press, featuring press release video, interviews, mission press conferences and other services. The final is the "Space Operations Channel", an internal, encrypted
Encryption
In cryptography, encryption is the process of transforming information using an algorithm to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. The result of the process is encrypted information...
feed for NASA spaceflight operations.A high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
simulcast of the "Public Channel" launched on July 19, 2010.
The NASA TV website also provides a channel featuring continuous live footage from inside and outside the ISS, established to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the station in orbit, as well as a continuous audio-only channel of ISS and Shuttle mission audio.
Programming
NASA TV carries a variety of regularly scheduled, pre-recorded educational and public relations programming 24 hours a day on its various channels. Programs include NASA Gallery, which features photographs and video from NASA's history; Video File, which broadcasts b-rollB-roll
B-roll, B roll, or Broll is the supplemental or alternate footage intercut with the main shot in an interview or documentary.- History :The term B-roll originates from the method of 16 mm film production from an original camera negative...
footage for news and media outlets; Education File, which provides special programming for schools; This Week @ NASA, which shows news from NASA centers around the country; and NASA Edge
NASA Edge
NASA EDGE is a video podcast which explores different missions, technologies and projects developed by NASA. The program was released by NASA on March 18, 2007, and , there have been 53 vodcasts produced.-Description:...
and NASA 360
NASA 360
NASA 360 is a half-hour vodcast developed by NASA in partnership with the National Institute of Aerospace. The show premiered in August 2008. It airs on more than 450 TV stations across the country, and is consistently one of the top-downloaded programs on the NASA.gov website...
, hosted programs that focus on various projects and activities within NASA. Live ISS coverage and related commentary is aired in hour-long segments throughout the day.
The network also provides an array of live programming, such as 24-hour coverage of Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
missions, ISS events (spacewalks, media interviews, educational broadcasts), press conferences and rocket launches. These often include running commentary by members of the NASA Public Affairs Office who serve as the "voice of Mission Control", including Rob Navias, Josh Byerly
Josh Byerly
Josh Byerly is a public affairs officer and spokesman for NASA and is based at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. He is an award-winning writer and former television personality.-Career:...
, Nicole Cloutier and Brandi Dean.
Canadian broadcasting
Prior to 2007, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) prohibited NASA TV from being aired by local satellite and cable systems, with the exception of specific broadcast events. On April 20, 2007, the Commission issued a notice stating that after receiving an initial request from Mountain CablevisionMountain Cablevision
Mountain Cable was one of three cable television service providers for the city of Hamilton, Ontario and its surrounding area. The other two providers are Cogeco and Source Cable...
and support from other Canadian broadcasters and members of the public, NASA TV had been added to the lists of eligible satellite services.
Broadcast partnerships
NASA has used external companies to provide streaming services for internet viewers, both embedded into NASA's website and through streams branded by those companies. The variety of stream formats used have varied with the available technology and with the popularity of formats, including RealMediaRealMedia
RealMedia is a proprietary multimedia container format created by RealNetworks. Its extension is ".rm". It is typically used in conjunction with RealVideo and RealAudio and is used for streaming content over the Internet....
, QuickTime
QuickTime
QuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
, Windows Media
Windows Media
Windows Media is a multimedia framework for media creation and distribution for Microsoft Windows. It consists of a software development kit with several application programming interfaces and a number of prebuilt technologies, and is the replacement of NetShow technologies.The Windows Media SDK...
, and Flash Video.
In July 2005, NASA entered into an agreement with Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
and Akamai Technologies
Akamai Technologies
Akamai Technologies, Inc. is an Internet content delivery network headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US.The company was founded in 1998 by then-MIT graduate student Daniel M. Lewin, and MIT Applied Mathematics professor Tom Leighton...
to provide streaming services for NASA TV ahead of the STS-114
STS-114
-Original crew:This mission was to carry the Expedition 7 crew to the ISS and bring home the Expedition 6 crew. The original crew was to be:-Mission highlights:...
mission and associated Return to Flight program after the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003, when shortly before it was scheduled to conclude its 28th mission, STS-107, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas and Louisiana during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, resulting in the death of all seven crew members...
. , NASA has entered agreements with Ustream
Ustream
Ustream is a website which consists of a network of diverse channels providing a platform for lifecasting and live video streaming of events online. Established in March 2007, the site has over 2,000,000 registered users who generate 1,500,000+ hours of live streamed content per month with over ten...
to provide high definition streaming of NASA TV and high definition cameras aboard the International Space Station, along with mission audio. Archives of press conferences, NASA Tweetup
NASA Tweetup
NASA has hosted many events for its Twitter enthusiasts called NASA Tweetups. These events provide guests with VIP access to NASA facilities and speakers with the goal of leveraging participants' social networks to further the outreach requirements of NASA as laid out in the National Aeronautics...
s, and other events are also made available via UStream. Other NASA TV programs and events are archived via the NASA TV YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel.
Awards
In 2009, NASA TV received two Emmy Awards. On January 24, the Midsouth Chapter of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences awarded NASA TV and the Marshall Space Flight CenterMarshall Space Flight Center
The George C. Marshall Space Flight Center is the U.S. government's civilian rocketry and spacecraft propulsion research center. The largest center of NASA, MSFC's first mission was developing the Saturn launch vehicles for the Apollo moon program...
with the Governor's Award for Lifetime Achievement in recognition of NASA's 50th anniversary. On August 22, NASA TV was awarded a national Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
, the Philo T. Farnsworth Award
Philo T. Farnsworth Corporate Achievement Award
The Philo T. Farnsworth Corporate Achievement Award is a Primetime Emmy engineering award given to honor companies who have significantly affected the state of television and broadcast engineering over a long period of time...
, for engineering excellence in recognition of the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11
Apollo 11
In early 1969, Bill Anders accepted a job with the National Space Council effective in August 1969 and announced his retirement as an astronaut. At that point Ken Mattingly was moved from the support crew into parallel training with Anders as backup Command Module Pilot in case Apollo 11 was...
's first television broadcast from the surface of the moon.
See also
- ESA TelevisionESA TelevisionESA Television is the television network of the European Space Agency. It is a satellite-only broadcast network which periodically transmits programming via SES Sirius's Sirius 4 satellite to Europe and via SES New Skies's NSS-806 satellite to the Americas as part of the Europe by Satellite public...
- European Space AgencyEuropean Space AgencyThe European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
TV channel - TV Roskosmos - Russian Federal Space AgencyRussian Federal Space AgencyThe Russian Federal Space Agency , commonly called Roscosmos and abbreviated as FKA and RKA , is the government agency responsible for the Russian space science program and general aerospace research. It was previously the Russian Aviation and Space Agency .Headquarters of Roscosmos are located...
TV channel
External links
- provides streams for Windows MediaWindows Media
Windows Media is a multimedia framework for media creation and distribution for Microsoft Windows. It consists of a software development kit with several application programming interfaces and a number of prebuilt technologies, and is the replacement of NetShow technologies.The Windows Media SDK...
, QuickTime
QuickTime
QuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
and Flash
Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
formats
- NASA TV in High Definition via UStream.com
- NASA TV archives of NASA Tweetup events via UStream.com
Other NASA video feeds
- Kennedy Space Center - slideshow images and local facility streams
- Expendable Launch Vehicle pad streams