Space Live: New TV channel broadcasts absolutely stunning footage of Earth… forever | television

I We realize that at this point, there are already too many offers. Every channel and streaming service is packed with content that demands your attention, and there are simply too few hours in the day to watch it all. However, with that in mind, may I recommend a new show called Space Live? There is only one ring. The only potential downside is that the loop literally lasts forever.

In fact, this is inaccurate. Space Live is not a show, it is a channel. It was launched on Wednesday morning, broadcast on ITVX, and consists solely of live footage of Earth broadcast from the International Space Station. It’s fun to watch, especially for anyone who didn’t realize that a person can be both amazed and bored at the same time.

It has been described as the first of its kind in the world. ITV has partnered with British satellite media company Sen to use live 4K footage from its SpaceTV-1 video camera system, mounted on the International Space Station, giving us three camera views: one of the station’s docking ports, a horizontal view capable of showing sunrises and storms, and a camera pointing straight down as the ISS passes past the planet. A tracker in the corner of the screen shows the live location of the International Space Station, while a real-time AI information feed provides facts about our geography and weather systems.

Of course, if you wanted to be picky, you could argue that it’s not entirely new. NASA’s YouTube channel has been broadcasting live footage from the International Space Station for years, uniformly attracting an audience of a few thousand. But Space Live is a little more stylish, if nothing else. The shots are certainly prettier: At 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Space Live showed gorgeous images of the sun’s glow bouncing off the sea around the Bay of Biscay, while all NASA could offer was a piece of fabric with the word “flap” written on it. There’s also a soundtrack, which is a steady, soothing type of music that loops and repeats without becoming completely annoying. It’s an improvement, in other words.

And at least for the first orbit, it was absolutely amazing. Although it doesn’t quite offer the overview effect — the cognitive shift felt by those who see Earth from space, leading to new perspectives on humanity and its place in the universe — it’s still very humbling to see just how small the planet is. The time it took for the International Space Station to pass from southeast England (where I am) to war-torn Ukraine can be calculated in seconds. Then, across Asia towards Australia. There is really very little that separates us at all.

Inevitably, as the station crosses the Earth, drifting endlessly between sunrise and sunset, your thoughts turn to the people you know wherever they are. There’s something distinctly comforting about that.

However, God knows you can’t feel amazing forever. This is the case with Space Live. Eventually, the magic of technology, perspective, and beauty of our planet begins to fade, and the experience becomes something more akin to the map you end up staring at on a flight when you run out of movies to watch. Your attention starts to wander, and you realize that ITVX has other live channels you can watch. Only one of them shows Love Island. Another shows only Christmas movies. Then you realize, with the recession, that the grandeur of the only house we’ve ever known rotating silently in space has become just another content option, along with whatever ITV channel shows American Ninja Warrior Junior.

But even though you won’t be watching it all the time, it’s good to know that Space Live is out there. It’s not the kind of thing you’d imagine they’d be showing on the big screen in pubs – not unless people really start engaging in “Weeeeeey” every time they see the Ural River – but as something that should be in the background, it’s undeniably soothing. I think for a few dedicated people, the channel will be something they will continue to silently turn on as they go about their day.

Granted, this may not be why humanity first chose to embark on the miraculous feat of escaping Earth’s strict confines – you’ll remember that Neil Armstrong not only pointedly said, “It’s one small step for man, one giant leap for screensavers” – but, as an idea, Space Live can’t be faulted. I may not wear it all the time, but when I need a reminder of who we are and how little difference there is, I guarantee it will be my first port of call.