From: davidd@lmsmgr.lerc.nasa.gov (David DeFelice, 3-6186)
Subject: Lewis Makes Internet Television a Reality Worldwide
Date: 2 Nov 1994 01:49:45 -0800
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center

Lewis Makes Internet Television a Reality Worldwide

by Doreen B. Zudell
(Reprinted from the October 7, 1994 edition of the LEWIS NEWS)

Thousands of people around the world, many of whom had never seen a shuttle launch, were able to view the STS-64 Space Shuttle Discovery mission thanks to CU-SeeMe, a new desktop video- conference program developed at Cornell University and in use on the Internet.

While normal reception of a shuttle launch broadcast requires a satellite dish or access to a cable provider that carries NASA service, placing video and audio streams on the Internet enables properly equipped computers worldwide to receive NASA Television, including many K-12 schools.

"Lewis receives NASA TV video and audio signals from a satellite link operated by Goddard Space Flight Center. To get out to the Internet, the satellite downlink received at Lewis is packetized using CU-SeeMe software on a Macintosh computer. It is then relayed to a Sun computer running Cornell's reflector software," explained Michael Baldizzi, Telecommunications and Networking Branch, Computer Services Division.

Baldizzi first began experimentally re-broadcasting the NASA Television downlink over the Internet using CU-SeeMe in March 1994. Since then he has set up and assisted with transmission of numerous space shuttle missions and NASA-related conferences to countries as far as Japan and Norway. Currently, Lewis is the only NASA center that offers this service. Since March, nearly 4,000 viewers have attached to the Lewis reflector to view NASA Television.

"CU-SeeMe is a little like a video telephone," said Baldizzi. "When connecting to a public reflector you never know who you might be on-line with. During one videoconference, I was able to view and talk with people in Antarctica, Hawaii, and Norway at the same time."

CU-SeeMe is quickly becoming a popular medium for education, and has been utilized by Vice President Al Gore with the K-12 Global Schoolhouse initiative. Through Lewis' involvement, classrooms around the world can now view live NASA shuttle missions and other programming.

CU-SeeMe is intended to provide useful videoconferencing at minimal cost, explained Baldizzi. Receiving requires only a Mac or a PC with a connection to the Internet. Sending requires the same, plus a camera and a video digitizing board.

[The LEWIS NEWS is the official newsletter of the NASA Lewis Research Center, in Cleveland, Ohio.]

Note: Detailed information on accessing CU-SeeMe is available.

Coverage will be provided for the upcoming STS-66 mission.

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David M. DeFelice - NASA Lewis Research Center - Community Relations Office
(216) 433-6186            Cleveland, Ohio       davidd@lims01.lerc.nasa.gov
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