Three years after filming the first 4K footage in space, NASA outdid its performance by recording an incredible 8K ultra high definition (UHD) video shot on board the International Space Station (ISS).
The amazing footage delivers outstanding images at a resolution of 8,192 x 4,320 pixels and follows the astronaut crew living on board the orbital outpost as they go about their work and perform ground-breaking science some 250 miles above the surface of our planet.
This first 8K video ever filmed in space is the product of a fruitful collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) and was unveiled on November 2 — a very special day for the ISS.
As NASA wrote on Twitter a few hours ago, “today marks the 18th anniversary of humanity’s permanent presence in space” — a perfect occasion for space enthusiasts to experience what life on the ISS looks like in UHD.
The footage focuses on the research currently under way on board the orbiting laboratory and features exciting scientific experiments, such as BCAT-CS — which studies the forces between particles that cluster together — and Plant Habitat-1, which explores the genetic differences between space-grown and Earth-grown plants.
Furthermore, the 8K video takes viewers on a tour of the ISS, showcasing some of the space station’s most iconic facilities, such as the Cupola, the Life Support Rack, the Japanese Experiment Module Airlock, and the Canadarm2.
“Experience high-res science in the first 8K ultra high definition video from the space station,” the ISS Twitter account posted earlier today.
Experience high-res #science in the first #8K ultra high definition video from @Space_Station , featuring @esa . Watch and download: https://t.co/6HqkKKmoLj ???? #UHD pic.twitter.com/FiDMrSQgKe
— ISS Research (@ISS_Research) November 2, 2018
In the video, Earth-bound viewers can watch NASA astronaut Serena Aunon-Chancellor sequence DNA and RNA in space as part of the BEST project and see U.S. astronaut Ricky Arnold operate the Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) — a cold storage unit that maintains experiment samples at ultra-cold temperatures.
At the same time, the 8K video shows NASA astronaut Drew Feustel — the former commander of the ISS — conduct research with the Atomization experiment, an investigation into the effects of low-speed water jets in improving combustion processes within engines.
Last, but not least, the footage features ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst — the current ISS commander — who can be seen giving a blood sample for the Functional Immune investigation. This experiment is aimed at uncovering how the crew members’ immune systems change in space.
The video also includes an impressive shot of the Advanced Plant Habitat, a recent addition to the ISS and the largest growth chamber functioning inside the orbital outpost.
In addition, the 8K footage treats viewers to a stirring view of our planet, captured as part of the Crew Earth Observations initiative. This project is aimed at recording how our home planet is changing over time due to man-made causes and natural calamities.
“Get closer to the in-space experience and see how the international partnership-powered human spaceflight is improving lives on Earth, while enabling humanity to explore the universe,” NASA officials stated in the video release.
According to the space agency, the enthralling video was filmed with a Helium 8K camera provided by the digital cinema company RED — the same firm that supplied the equipment for the first 4K footage shot in space.
Astronauts are teaching scientists how they grip and manipulate objects in space to help engineers design intelligent controls and interfaces aboard spacecraft. @NASA also delivered the first 8K video of the crew working in space this week. pic.twitter.com/ExZw3GeP6j
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) November 2, 2018
The 8K video was taken in the days before Feustel and Arnold returned to Earth on October 4. As the Inquisitr reported at the time, the two spacemen completed a 197-day mission on board the ISS.
The 8K UHD footage is available for download at the NASA Image and Video Library and was shot “at a higher fidelity and then down-converted, which results in higher-quality playback, even for viewers who do not have an 8K screen,” explained the space agency.
“This new footage showcases the story of human spaceflight in more vivid detail than ever before,” said Dylan Mathis, communications manager for the ISS 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.”
In case you’re feeling nostalgic, check out the first 4K video from space at the link below, released by NASA Johnson on July 27, 2015.