How Do Astronauts Watch The World Cup in Space?

Guys, futbol may BE the biggest thing going on right now on EARTH. But what about in Space? Do they get to see the matches too? Hey world, Trace here for DNews and this is our Weekly Space Update! You can be sure the astronauts flying on the ISS are trained both physically and mentally for their journey. They are required to exercise daily, and run experiments, perform spacewalks and fulfill duties at all hours of the day... but NASA ensures they're not just worker bees, but that they take care of their psychological needs as well. They have a way to uplink movies that aren't already up there, but what about for other things... like...the Super bowl, Olympics, World Cup, US Open, the World Chess Championship -- Dude, Magnus Carlsen is defending his title this year!!! AAHH!! // *cut mid-freakout* Everyone in the world, and some people in the United States are going balls-on-the-pitch crazy about the largest, most-watched sporting event on the planet, the World Cup. And seeing as this is the INTERNATIONAL space station, we've probably got some fútbol loving astronauts! So, NASA's Johnson Space Center is on the case to make sure these intrepid explorers get their psychological needs met! A NASA representative told us, "the final match of the World Cup falls during off-duty time on a Sunday, so they might choose to watch some of the game live." So they DO get to watch it. Another press release showed astronauts enjoying a ten minute highlight reel earlier this week. So they are definitely up on the biggest sports Earth news this week. But technology isn't magic. They can't just swipe a TV show up into the clouds and have it fly to the space station! The ISS has to have Ku-Band connection with mission control. It's called the Ku because it's directly below the K-band on the electromagnetic spectrum; Ku... K-Under... get it? The 12-18 gigahertz Ku band isn't just for sending "Fast n' Loud" marathons to the ISS, it's also used for satellite communications and television broadcasting. The ISS uses the Ku because it has a higher bandwidth than their normal internet uplink, so it's ideal for sending large amounts of information, like a live broadcast. Johnson Space Center has a special license from their satellite cable company to re-direct channels that astronauts want to see directly to the station. Like cell phone service on the ground, the Ku coverage in space varies, but the ISS is usually able to connect to Johnson Space Center for 80 minutes during each 90 minute orbit. That's a long 10 minute blackout during an exciting sportsball match, but if they're not streaming something live they can use it for other things too. So let's just say, for kicks, that no one was interested in the World Cup. Astronauts don't just sit around watching the tube, they also can use their computers to surf the web, or call home. THey play musical instruments, read and so on. These are all "important aspects of psychological support for astronauts on long-duration missions." That's according to our friendly NASA representative. They can even watch movies together in their... *snicker* makeshift Movie Theatre. In fact, according to NASA there's a growing collection of DVDs brought up by past missions. Watching the "Star Trek" series was a weekly event for former ISS astronaut Greg Chamitoff. If you could take three movies with you to the ISS, which three would you take? Tell us the movies you'd take in the comments, and subscribe! But before you go... If you're a space-geek who likes to space out and learn about space... NEXT Tuesday, June 24 we doing our monthly Google Hangout with NASA/JPL. DID you know they don't just look up to the stars - they also care a lot about good old terra firma! We're going to talk with some of the scientists working on Earth science missions! It's going to be so great! Check the description for the link to RSVP, and get your questions ready!