Earlier this year, NASA started posting UHD videos on its YouTube channel and it continues to work on it. Today, the American space agency announced to launch NASA TV UHD channel in North America by teaming up with Harmonic. “The partnership is the result of a Space Act Agreement between Harmonic and the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.”

Harmonic is a video delivery infrastructure company and is working to provide NASA Television the ability to deliver the 4K video. The space agency is calling it “the first ever non-commercial consumer ultra-high definition channel in North America.”

Who will be able to access NASA TV UHD channel?

Anyone will be able to access it on the internet on most devices if they have a connection of 13 Mbps or higher and will also be available from certain TV operators. According to NASA, Harmonic is in discussions with various paid TV operators to carry NASA TV UHD channel on “satellite, cable and optical networks for consumer access.” Till now, no deal has been finalized.

Robert Jacobs, Deputy Associate Admin for NASA’s Office of Communications said:

“Partnering with Harmonic gives NASA an outlet for its UHD content, which has four times the resolution of HD and is the next iteration of digital television.”

What will the new channel show?

NASA TV UHD channel will primarily feature 4k footage that the space agency has been shooting on the ISS (International Space Station) over the past few months. It is also said to feature 4K time-lapses created from photos taken aboard the ISS. Reportedly, NASA will be re-mastering the video footages from historical missions and much more. If everything goes well, the 4k channel is expected to launch on November 1st, 2015.