Later this month, NASA will launch more than just rockets as the American space agency places it. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration will release NASA+, its new free streaming service, in November. For space fans, this is pretty exciting news.
But what exactly is NASA+ and what is streamed on it? How does it differ from the agency’s current NASA TV platform? Here’s everything we know so far.
What is NASA+?
NASA+ is a streaming service that shows NASA’s live coverage of missions, launches, research, and everything else the agency has in the works.
“We put space on demand and at your fingertips,” said Marc Etkind, associate administrator, Office of Communications, NASA Headquarters, in a news release.
NASA+ is part of the agency’s plan to transform its digital presence, first announced in July 2023, with the goal of revamping NASA’s websites and upgrading the NASA app. Jeff Seaton, chief information officer at the agency’s headquarters, said NASA’s goal is to “streamline the way the public interacts with our content online.”
How much does NASA+ cost?
NASA+ will be completely free, with no subscription fees (NASA is a federal agency funded by Congress, so this comes as no surprise). Naturally, the service will also contain no advertisements.
Where can I watch NASA+?
NASA+ launches on November 8.
The service will be available on all major platforms through the NASA app on iOS and Android for mobile, tablet and smart TV devices. Streaming platforms like Apple TV, Fire TV, and Roku (where NASA has an existing channel) will also be found on both desktop and mobile devices.
How is this different from NASA TV?
It appears that NASA+ is an update to the existing NASA TV, which is also free and serves as a broadcast network for live events and original content. It’s unclear how different the content will be between the two, or if NASA+ will simply act as the new and improved version of the broadcast network. We’ve reached out to NASA for more information and will update this article if we hear back.
What can I watch on NASA+?
While a full schedule has not yet been announced, NASA+ will feature a series of livestreams, mission updates and behind-the-scenes videos, much like NASA TV already does. Through its website and YouTube channel, the space agency regularly streams nail-biting mission moments, Mars rover landings, historic rocket launches, launch replays, disconnections and splashdowns, findings and more.
In recent historic moments, NASA TV has streamed the unveiling of the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope, the launch of the Artemis-1 moon mission, SpaceX’s fiery Starship launches and that time NASA crashed a spacecraft into an asteroid, among many others. , many others, so it’s likely you’ll be able to watch these on the platform, but details are yet to come.
What we do know is that collections of NASA’s original, Emmy Award-winning documentaries will be available, as well as a handful of new series coming in the coming months.