InCinematographer - Issue 1 - June 2017 - 24

24

www.incinematographer.com | Issue 1 | June 2017

Live Streaming
4K from the ISS
Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) took part in an
NAB Show Super Session that demonstrated end-to-end live 4K,
cloud-based workflow in HEVC for delivery to multiscreen devices...

T

he U.S. National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) produced the first-ever
live 4K video stream from space during a Reaching
for the Stars: Connecting to the Future with NASA and
Hollywood Super Session at the recent NAB Show.
The panel co-produced by NAB Show, NASA, and
Amazon Web Services (AWS), explored how advanced
imaging and cloud technologies are taking scientific
research and filmmaking to the next level. The live
feed from 250 miles above Earth was encoded with
AWS Elemental encoding software on board the ISS
and on the ground at Johnson Space Center.
During
the
event
NASA
ISS
Program
Communication Manager Dylan Mathis and Imagery
Experts Program Manager Rodney Grubbs formally
presented the first ultra-high definition camera to be
used aboard the ISS to RED's President, Jarred Land.
Advanced media
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 Super Session, hosted by Sam Matheny,
EVP and CTO, NAB, a live 4K stream enabled NASA
astronaut Dr Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Jack
Fischer on the ISS to converse with AWS Elemental
CEO and Co-Founder Sam Blackman, at the LVCC.
In conjunction with the live 4K streaming event,
NASA astronaut Dr Tracy Caldwell Dyson and NASA
NASA's Rodney Grubbs presented the
first UHD camera to be used aboard
the ISS to RED President Jarred Land

AWS Elemental CEO Sam Blackman in the LVCC talks live with Commander Peggy Whitson
and Flight Engineer Jack Fischer aboard the ISS

Imagery Experts Program Manager Rodney Grubbs
took part in the panel discussion featuring Hollywood
and technology leaders including Bernadette McDaid,
Head of Development, VR & AR, Bua Entertainment;
Khawaja Shams, Vice President of Engineering for
AWS Elemental; and Dr Dave McQueeney, Senior
Principal Investigator, IBM Watson Group. The panel
was moderated by Carolyn Giardina, Technology
Editor for the Hollywood Reporter.
After the event NASA's Rodney Grubbs, said:
"Using the RED EPIC DRAGON camera on board the
International Space Station for more than two years
has helped NASA capture stunning imagery in 6K.
"Now we've successfully completed the first live 4K
downlink out of the camera
from the space station.
Being able to downlink
ultra-high
resolution
imagery from space to
Earth opens up a whole new
chapter in live broadcasting
from the space station,
providing a powerful new
tool to support science and
research.
"NASA also is excited
about using this technology
to provide the rest of us

here on Earth a way to experience life and work on
the world's only orbiting laboratory in greater detail
than ever before."
The entire event is available for multiscreen
viewing in 4K and down-converted HD video at
https://live.awsevents.com/nasa4k
AWS Elemental delivered the live stream of the
event via an AWS workflow that included AWS
CloudWatch, Amazon Route 53, and the Amazon
CloudFront Content Delivery Network (CDN) for
public access in both 4K and HD.
Roberts Communications Network, Las Vegas,
NV provided the satellite downlink truck for the
transmission from Johnson Space Center to the LVCC.
Christie provided full-resolution 4K projectors for inroom display during the Super Session.
aws.amazon.com/digital-media/aws-elemental
www.red.com

NAB Super Session panel

http://www.incinematographer.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=AExVC9RqIyc https://live.awsevents.com/nasa4k https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=AExVC9RqIyc http://aws.amazon.com/digital-media/aws-elemental http://www.red.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=AExVC9RqIyc

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of InCinematographer - Issue 1 - June 2017