NASA TV
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C., United States |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
NASA TV (originally NASA Select) is the television network of the United States space agency, NASA. NASA TV is broadcast by satellite with a simulcast over the Internet. Local cable television systems across the U.S. may carry the public channel at their discretion, and it is broadcast by some amateur television repeaters. The network has been on the air for more than 25 years.[2]
The network airs a large amount of educational programming, and provides live coverage of an array of manned missions, including the Space Shuttle and 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/digital broadcasting, although some cable television system may still transmit in analog. The satellite link uses the DVB system for data transmission.
Channels
The NASA TV network operates four channels over the air, and the same four channels online. The NASA Public channel provides 24 hour broadcasting of live and recorded events and documentaries aimed toward the general public. The NASA Education channel provides space and science programming for schools, museums and other educational institutions. The NASA 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 NASA Mission Operations channel, an encrypted feed for NASA employees.[1]
Programming
NASA TV airs a variety of regularly scheduled, pre-recorded educational and public relations programming 24 hours a day on its various channels. Programs include NASA Gallery (famous photographs and video from NASA's history), Video File (b-roll footage for news and media outlets), Education File (special programming for schools), NASA EDGE (hosted program focusing on different aspects of NASA) and This Week @ NASA (news from NASA centers around the country). Live International Space Station (ISS) coverage and related commentary is aired daily at 10 a.m. CST and repeats throughout the day.[3]
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.
NASA TV in Canada
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.[4] On April 20, 2007, the Commission issued a notice stating that after receiving an initial request from Mountain Cablevision and support from other Canadian broadcasters and members of the public, NASA TV had been added to the lists of eligible satellite services.[5]
Commercial carriers
- DirectTV: channel 283
- Dish Network: channel 213
Internet feeds
- NASA TV main feed - provides streams for Windows Media, RealPlayer and Quicktime formats
- Space.com mirror feed
- Yahoo! mirror feed (Windows Media format):
Non-NTV video streams
- Kennedy Space Center - slideshow images and local facility streams
- Space Shuttle countdown clock - mission clock and additional facility streams
See also
- ESA Television - European Space Agency TV channel
- TV Roskosmos - Russian Federal Space Agency TV channel
- List of DirecTV channels
- List of Dish Network channels
References
- ^ a b Dunbar, Brian (2007-09-06). "Digital NASA TV". NASA.gov. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
- ^ "NASA Digital Conversion Information". NASADigitalTV.com. 2005-07-12. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
- ^ Wilson, Jim (2008-09-28). "NASA TV: Daily Program Schedule". NASA.gov. Retrieved 2008-12-07.
- ^ Anderson, Stephen (2000-09-20). "NASA TV: Banned In Canada?". Space.com. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
- ^ "Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2007-43" (Press release). Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. 2007-04-20. Retrieved 2008-06-03.