For the first time ever, BBC is set to broadcast a live program into the outer space, creating fresh history in the digital broadcasting domain. BBC will live-stream the Calcutta Cup rugby match between England and Scotland taking place this weekend.
On a request from the Europe Space Agency (ESA), BBC has taken up this historic task to broadcast the match live to British astronaut Tim Peake, who will be watching the match in the International Space Station (ISS). In fact it was Peake himself who had sent a request to the ESA to livestream the game to the ISS.
The game will be broadcast and the signal will first reach the European Space Agency, which will again relay it to mission control in Houston, Texas and from here it will reach ISS, orbiting about 400 KM above the Earth.
The British astronaut even intends to tweet live from ISS about the game. The ecstatic astronaut even recorded a message and stated that
I know that space is a hostile environment, but Murrayfield, for the old Calcutta Cup, that’s a whole different matter. 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!
Peake, who is training to become the first human to run a marathon from outer space has been positioned at ISS since December 15. The seventh person from the UK to reach outer space, Peake is a devout fan of the game and did not wish to miss out on watching the inaugural Six Nation’s rugby championship game even from outer space.
Speaking about the historic moment Philip Bernie, head of TV sport for BBC stated that “We’ve always tried to push the boundaries of broadcasting at the BBC, and streaming to space is an exciting first for us. We knew Tim was a massive rugby fan and now he can join the rest of the nation watching Scotland vs England in the Six Nations.
