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As If Rocket Launches Aren’t Epic Enough, Now They’re Filmed in 4K

Spaceflight is evolving, and so are the ways in which we ogle at it.

4K camera footage of Dec 6 Orbital launch. Video: NASA

Rocket launches are inherently epic, but NASA has taken it to a whole new level with its ultra high definition footage of last Sunday's Orbital ATK launch. The Atlas V rocket blasts off at the seven minute mark in the above video, and the close-up of the burn—framed by sparkling falling debris—is straight-up hypnotic.

The footage was captured by a suite of six 4K cameras that were installed as part of the new project NASA TV UHD, which is "the first ever non-commercial consumer ultra-high definition (UHD) channel in North America," according to the agency.

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In addition to launches, the channel will release videos captured by the 4K cameras aboard the International Space Station, and will also remaster classic spaceflight footage.

Speaking of which, it's interesting to stack this sharp picture of the Orbital launch against the earliest video coverage of human space exploration. Over the weekend, for example, I wrote about the explosion of Vanguard TV3, America's first satellite attempt, which blew up on the launchpad in 1957. Here's the video of that event.

Vanguard TV3 explosion. Video: bonefireyouth/YouTube

Not only is spaceflight technology evolving our methods of capturing it has dramatically enhanced over the decades. By the time the first crewed Mars missions go down in the 2030s, I bet we'll be enjoying these launches in photorealistic VR like the spoiled futurist brats we are. Calling it now.