International Space Station Program Presented with Primetime Emmy Award

Monday’s International Space Station program (ISS) senior staff meeting was nothing short of entertaining — the highest distinction of entertainment, that is. NASA’s International Space Station Program Manager Joel Montalbano and team were presented with an Emmy Award.

Félix Lajeunesse, co-founder and creative director of Felix & Paul Studios, presented the award to the team — the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Interactive Program for their virtual reality (VR) film series, “Space Explorers: An ISS Experience.”

Felix & Paul Studios has been working with NASA and the space station team since 2016. In January 2019, they began production aboard the orbiting laboratory during Expedition 58, continuing for more than two-and-a-half years. During this time, they captured more than 200 hours of space station VR footage. Eventually, NASA helped place a second camera outside the space station to capture cinematic VR shots, Earth views, space station exterior shots, and spacewalks.

With this footage and through years of consultation with NASA and the ISS program, Felix & Paul released “Space Explorers,” the four-part cinematic series that won the Primetime Emmy Award.

“It is the “highest distinction in our industry and, of course, it made sense for us to say thank you to the ISS management [for making] this possible,” Lajeunesse told the team upon presentation of the award.

Additionally, the footage was used in THE INFINITE, an immersive VR experience currently available at Houston’s Sawyer Yards. While the experience kicked off its tour in Space City and is here through April 17, it will spend the next five years touring the United States, with next stops in Seattle and San Francisco. It is on track to have more than a million visitors a year.

Upon accepting the Emmy, Montalbano said, “First of all, thank you [Félix] very much for putting your trust in us and allowing us to help you put it in this product.” Then, addressing the NASA team, he continued, “If you haven’t seen THE INFINITE, it’s the coolest thing in world.”

Last, Montalbano said to Lajeunesse, “Thank you for everything you all have done for us, and congratulations to everyone.”

Felix & Paul Studios continues to work with NASA to document advancements in human spaceflight and is currently working on an Artemis product. Be sure to check out THE INFINITE, which is at Sawyer Yards through April 17. Use discount code “NASA15” HERE for additional savings off the ticket price.

From left, International Space Station Program Manager Joel Montalbano and Félix Lajeunesse, co-founder and creative director of Felix & Paul Studios, pose with the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Interactive Program. Credits: NASA/Josh Valcarcel