The BBC is about to make broadcasting history when it beams a live rugby match into space on Saturday, Feb. 6.
The BBC will send the broadcast to the European Space Agency (ESA), which will then feed the match to NASA in Houston, which will send it up to the International Space Station (ISS).
Astronaut Tim Peake and his two colleagues will watch the Six Nations Championship match between Scotland and England tomorrow 400 km above Earth using an HD projector and a 65-inch screen.
"We've always tried to push the boundaries of broadcasting at the BBC, and streaming to space is an exciting first for us," Philip Bernie, head of TV Sport for the BBC, told Venture Beat. "We knew Tim was a massive rugby fan and now he can join the rest of the nation watching Scotland v England in the Six Nations."
As well as it being a first for BBC, watching the rugby match from space will join Peake's running list of other firsts. He was the first official British astronaut to visit the ISS (which has been his home since December) and has plans to become to first human to run a marathon in real-time from space.
"I know that space is a hostile environment, but Murrayfield for the old Calcutta Cup — that's a whole different matter," Major Peake said. "And Scotland has a fire in their belly — you could hear their World Cup rage from up here in space. May the best team win. Come on England!"
This is not the first time that the ISS has watched a live broadcast. It has previously beamed up the Super Bowl, the World Cup and even movies.
The Scotland vs. England Six Nations match from Murrayfield will kick off at 4:50 p.m. GMT.
Source: BBC
