NASA Boosting 8K Capture and Switching to 4K on the Ground
Dylan Mathis is the Communication Manager for the External Relations Office at NASA and he spoke recently at the 4K HDR Summit in Spain. (for more articles from this event, see the 8K Association website).
NASA used 8K in the summer of 2024 for content capture on the International Space Station (ISS). Mathis explained that even though it was likely to deliver the content in 4K, using 8K for capture allowed cropping of the image and essential stabilization. Stabilization using processing rather than optics can mean a substantial crop to the original image. (For more on this topic, look here) Mathis pointed out that stabilization is handy on a spacecraft where ‘everything is moving’. Camera movement is also a challenge on the space station.
For two years a 4K Canon XF-705 was used on the ISS and 4K format was used to send content via the downlink to earth. The Space Center is being updated to 4K to allow production, review and broadcast in high resolution. At the moment, the internal systems in the Space Center do not use 4K formats.
NASA also needs as much detail in its content capture as possible for scientific purposes. The Nikon D5 camera is being used as well as a Nikon Z-9 and NASA is considering the Z-9 for use on upcoming lunar missions in 4K and 8K. Thermal tests are currently being done on this camera. The cameras are normally used when outside the ISS with thermal blankets because of very high temperature range from the highest to the lowest.
Public outreach is an important objective of the organization, The sharing of video content is important and high quality is essential for the wide range of uses for NASA’s content.
Mathis said that it is working with the MSG group on content for The Sphere in Las Vegas and that means going beyond even 8K. It is working on ‘spherical video’ which has been tested at 12K already and is now being tested with 20K+ sensors.
UHD 4K used for capturing launch and landing operations. Content from these phases of missions is created using drones, aircraft and fixed cameras. High quality video really helps engineers to understand exactly what happens in these critical mission times.
The next launch to the ISS will be the Axiom-4 in spring 2025 using a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
According to Mathis, NASA’s first UHD live downlink was in 2017 at NAB. In 2022 a live downlink was made to CES. Now the whole ground operation is being upgraded to accept 4K UHD and that’s a big project. Content in UltraHD will be distributed to all on the Nasa Plus app.
A European group has put up three cameras known as SEN that will start streaming real time 4K video shortly. The cameras will show the earth and part of the space station with one of the cameras live at any one time.
Since 2014 NASA has used Red digital with content acquired up to 8K in RAW so it can support HDR. It provides the RAW files to those that are using NASA content in other productions. The Nikon Z9 can also support this format. NASA doesn’t always capture in HDR but is exploring more use with HDR. However, the organisation doesn’t like to manipulate images – it must be authentic. This means, Mathis replied in response to a question. AI needs very careful thought before use.
Immersive audio is used sometimes with multiple microphones. NASA has collaborated on the “The infinite” project which has audio that is immersive. https://theinfiniteexperience.world/
