NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have partnered to document how astronauts live, work and conduct experiments at the International Space Station. And this time, they have released and uploaded the first 8K ultra high definition (UHD) videos from space.
This was made possible using the Helium 8K camera from RED, which was delivered to the ISS in April by a SpaceX cargo resupply mission.
In the high definition video, the agency shows how astronauts in the ISS do what they do best. Some included in the video are experiments using BEST investigation, which uses DNA sequencing to identify microbes in the space station; experiment comparing how plants grown in zero gravity to those grown on Earth; and the BCAT-CS study, which investigates the dynamic forces that exist between sediment particles.
"We're excited to embrace new technology that improves our ability to engage our audiences in space station research," said David Brady, the assistant program scientist for the International Space Station Program Science Office at Johnson. "Each improvement in imagery fidelity brings that person on Earth closer to the in-space experience, allowing them to see what human spaceflight is doing to improve their life, as well as enable humanity to explore the universe."
Previously, NASA has published numerous 4K videos in the past, including experiments showing what happens when water droplets, food coloring and antacid are combined in microgravity environment.
This time, the agency is making the 8K video public by uploading it to its official web page at https://images.nasa.gov/details-First-8K-Video-from-Space.html and YouTube.
"Fans of science in space now can experience fast-moving footage in even higher definition," said NASA. "The same engineers who sent high-definition (HD) cameras, 3D cameras, and a camera capable of recording 4K footage to the space station now have delivered a new camera capable of recording images with four times the resolution than previously offered."
"This new footage showcases the story of human spaceflight in more vivid detail than ever before," said Dylan Mathis, communications manager for the International Space Station Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. "The world of camera technology continues to progress, and seeing our planet in high fidelity is always welcome. We're excited to see what imagery comes down in the future."
However, most may not be able to watch the 8K video at its full glory, as the aren't many displays capable of resolving 8K resolution.
HDTV can record videos to up to 8K, specifically in 8192 x 4320 pixels. By comparison, the average HD consumer television at the given time can only display up to 1920 x 1080 pixels of resolution, and digital cinemas typically project in resolutions of 2K to 4K.
NASA uploaded the video on November 2, 2018 as the agency is celebrating the 18th anniversary of humans living continuously aboard, and the 20th anniversary of the launch of the first two space station elements, which happened on November 20 and December 4, 1998, respectively.
Previously, RED camera is the same brand used to record theatrical releases such as The Hobbit trilogy, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2, and television programs such as, Stranger Things, Maniac, and Lost in Space.
