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Codex Launches to Int’l Space Station on SpaceX Rocket

4K Codex recording system used for forthcoming IMAX production to orbit the Earth for the next twelve months.

London, England -- Codex, the industry leader in high-end digital recording and workflow equipment for motion picture and television production, announced that a 4K Codex recording system has been launched into space for a forthcoming IMAX production, and will orbit the Earth for the next twelve months.

On September 20th, at 7.16 GMT, SpaceX launched CRS-4, a commercial resupply services flight from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Travelling to the International Space Station (ISS), CRS-4 is carrying not only crew supplies, cargo and the ISS-RapidScat instrument, a replacement for NASA's QuikScat Earth satellite, used to monitor ocean winds for climate research, weather predictions and hurricane monitoring, but also a Codex 4K recording system as used on Hollywood blockbuster movies such as Need For Speed (DreamWorks SKG).

Paired with a Canon Cinema EOS C500 camera, the Codex recording system will be used by the astronauts onboard the International Space Station to capture a set of pre-determined shots at 4K resolution for an upcoming IMAX production, tentatively titled A Perfect Planet.

During the last few months the Codex recording system was put through rigorous testing, including radiation testing, by cinematographer James Neihouse and a team of engineers. Neihouse has worked on many IMAX movies, including Hubble 3D, Space Station 3D and Mission To Mir. The Codex system passed these tests and is now on its first mission into space.

Although different systems were evaluated, Neihouse commented, “Along with its ability to capture all the required frame rates at 4K from the Canon EOS C500, it became clear that Codex is a rock-solid platform and workflow, backed by world-class support. It was the obvious choice for this project.”

“Everyone at Codex is excited to be involved in this ground-breaking endeavour,” said Marc Dando, managing director of Codex. “Codex equipment has already been pushed to the limit during the testing process and now we get to support this project in space.”

Underscoring the robustness of Codex recording systems in entertainment production, Codex has received the Canon Award for Excellence in Cinematography Technology, from the International Cinematographers Guild (ICG). This special award was given on Friday September 26 as part of the ICG’s Emerging Cinematographer Awards (ECA). The ceremony took place during the opening event for the ECAs, at the ASC Clubhouse in Hollywood, where Tim Smith from Canon presented Sarah Priestnall from Codex with the prestigious award. Smith made particular mention of Codex’s technical expertise and assistance with the space launch. Codex’s Onboard S recorders enable the Canon EOS C500 to capture 4K Cinema RAW at up to 120fps.

Source: Codex

Jennifer Wolfe's picture

Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.