NASA and Microsoft Join Hands to Launch ‘Mixed Reality’ Mars Exhibit
Microsoft and NASA came together to develop a mixed-reality exhibit that they call "Destination: Mars." It will enable the public to explore Mars by taking holographic tours. The exhibit will launch in Florida at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
Dr. Buzz Aldrin, the second person to go to the moon, will also be featured in the tour. He will be guied by Erisa Hines, Curiosity Mars Rover driver, as the views will see real places on Mars where the scientists have already made significant discoveries. This experience was created by using Curiosity Rover images that landed on Mars in August 2012.
"Destination: Mars" uses OnSight software, a tool that NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) developed in collaboration with Microsoft. OnSight wil NASA scientists and a much better view of the area around Mars. In fact, they can also interact with the environment using 3-D simulation of Mars to conduct first-hand experiments.
In a press release, NASA said that up till this moment, "rover operations required scientists to examine Mars imagery on a computer screen, and make inferences about what they are seeing." Virtual reality is an all new step in conducting research on a planet that is situated over a 100 million miles from Earth.
"OnSight gives our rover scientists the ability to walk around and explore Mars right from their offices. It fundamentally changes our perception of Mars, and how we understand the Mars environment surrounding the rover." Dave Lavery, program executive for Solar System Exploration at NASA Headquarters
This is not the first time that NASA and Microsoft paired together. Previously, the tech company sent the space agency their virtual reality headsets, HoloLens, that were tested by Scott Kelly during his 340-day stay at the International Space Station.
