From a conference room in the middle of Las Vegas, one man witnessed a 4K milestone, streaming the first-ever live broadcast from space using the advanced imaging technology. With rising influence in Hollywood, 4K technology is also being applied to the sciences, particularly space travel communications.

Meeting with us shortly after the live 4K video stream sent from the International Space Station to the NAB Show, Sam Blackman (pictured, left), co-founder and chief executive officer of AWS Elemental, shared his reaction to this historic moment.

“Sitting in conference room in the middle of Las Vegas and seeing astronauts going around the earth at 17,000 miles an hour, with a seamless, beautiful 4K picture, it was mind-blowing!” Blackman said.

Blackman and NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson (pictured, right), joined Lisa Martin (@Luccazara), co-host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile live streaming studio, during the NAB Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. They discussed the technology behind the live stream, as well as how tech can change how people view the planet. (* Disclosure below.)

To 4K and beyond

The video stream from space utilized a live 4K encoder, located on the space station. The encoder sent signals down to Johnson Space Center, which then sent redundant links to the convention center in Las Vegas. The stream was processed in Las Vegas, and then used cloud technology to distribute the information all over the world, Blackman explained.

The advanced imaging technology helps illuminate the experience of being in space. The  detail of 4K technology makes it possible to capture not just what astronauts are seeing, but also what they’re experiencing, in rich, vivid detail. Dyson spoke of how awe-inspiring it is to view the earth from 250 miles above it and how important it is to bring the experience in 4K detail to everyone.

“If you could bring that experience to people back home, I’m excited to think how that would transform not just how people think, but how they act toward our planet,” Dyson said.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s independent editorial coverage of the NAB Show. (* Disclosure: Western Digital is sponsoring theCUBE’s coverage at the show. Neither Western Digital nor other sponsors have editorial influence on content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE