Mixed-Reality Tech Brings Mars to Earth

NASA and Microsoft have teamed up to create "Destination: Mars," a guided tour of Mars using the same Hololens technology that helps scientists plan the Curiosity rover's activities.

TRANSCRIPT

Jeff Norris: At NASA, we’re excited to apply mixed-reality technologies to the challenges we’re facing in space exploration. Through a collaboration with Microsoft, we’re building applications to support engineers responsible for the design and assembly of spacecraft, astronauts working on the International Space Station, and scientists are now using our Mars tool, OnSight, in mission operations.

Doug Ellison: OnSight is a powerful tool for our scientists and engineers to explore Mars, but because we always felt it shouldn’t remain only within NASA, we’ve taken the core of OnSight and made an amazing experience that allows the public to explore the red planet. We call this new experience Destination: Mars.

Jeff Norris: Mars can be a lonely place, so we’ve added photo-real holographic captures of an astronaut and a member of the Curiosity rover team to be our guides on this journey. This gave us the opportunity to immortalize a hero.

Buzz Aldrin: Hi there, I’m Buzz Aldrin.

Doug Ellison: To help Buzz explain how we’re doing science on Mars today is Curiosity rover driver Erisa Hines.

Erisa Hines: Welcome to my office.

Doug Ellison: We can put the public, the rover and Erisa together at the exact place where Curiosity made some of its most amazing discoveries.

Jeff Norris: We’re looking forward to opening the Destination: Mars exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in summer 2016. We can’t wait to share this journey with the world.

Buzz Aldrin: Let’s go to Mars!