You’ll need a quick internet connection and a reasonably beefy computer to tune in at 4K, although lower resolutions will be an option if you can’t spare the bandwidth or computing cycles. However, it’s clear that the ISS has the tougher challenge. It’s not so much the 4K gear (a RED Epic Dragon camera paired with a 4K encoder) as the internet connection. While the network the ISS uses has been receiving performance upgrades, it remains to be seen how well bandwidth-hungry 4K video works in a real livestream. The agency has to worry about delays, too, and recently revamped its technology to cut wait times.
Provided there are no hiccups, this still represents a breakthrough. ISS crews are no stranger to 4K, but this could make 4K a relative mainstay of all their work, not just something they use for offline productions. Also, it’s a testament to how rapidly spaceborne internet has evolved. In 2010, astronauts were happy just to have web access — now, they can take advantage of features that are impractical for many people back on Earth.
