NASA will shut down NASA TV on cable to focus on NASA+

NASA TV is shutting down in August. The space agency is saying goodbye to its cable channel, which is available on Dish, DirecTV and other similar services, as well as local television providers. Going forward, it will put all of its focus on NASA+, its on-demand streaming service that will serve as the home for all of its documentaries and live coverage of events.

NASA+ has apparently garnered four times the viewership of the agency's regular cable channel since its launch in November of last year. “In a space where the way we use information is changing rapidly, NASA+ helps us inspire and connect with our current generation of explorers: the Artemis Generation,” said Marc Etkind from NASA's communications office.

The agency's streaming service is completely free and ad-free. Viewers can access it through the official NASA app for iOS and Android if using mobile devices, but they can also find the agency's app for Roku, Apple TV or Fire TV if they want to watch on the big screen. To watch NASA broadcasts and shows on a computer, users can visit the official NASA+ website in their browsers.

In addition to announcing the closure of its cable channel, NASA also revealed its upcoming lineup of new shows, episodes and live broadcasts of events. One of the upcoming documentaries has a title Guardians of the Planet deals with human efforts in finding an asteroid and protecting the planet, while Our Alien World will show the field work of NASA scientists in the most dangerous places around the world to help in the discovery of extraterrestrial life in the universe.