A Mixed-reality Trip to Mars

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http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=6624

A Mixed-reality Trip to Mars
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
September 19, 2016

It'll be years before the first astronauts leave the launch pad on Earth
to journey to Mars. But starting Sept. 19, visitors to the Kennedy Space
Center visitor complex in Florida will get a taste of what those astronauts
will see when they touch down on the Red Planet.

"Destination: Mars," a mixed-reality experience designed by NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, and Microsoft HoloLens, held
a kick-off event for media at the Visitor Complex on Sept. 18. The experience
uses real imagery taken by NASA's Mars Curiosity rover to let users explore
the Martian surface.

Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin joined key representatives to introduce
the limited-time experience, which runs through January 1, 2017. He said
that the moon landing cultivated what became known as "the Apollo effect"
-- an enthusiasm for space research that inspired a generation to study
science and engineering.

"Technology like HoloLens leads us once again toward exploration," Aldrin
said. "It's my hope that experiences like "Destination: Mars" will continue
to inspire us to explore."

Aldrin and JPL Curiosity rover driver Erisa Hines both appear in "Destination:
Mars," where they guide users across the landscape and offer a tantalizing
glimpse of a future Martian colony. The technology that accomplishes this
is called "mixed reality," where virtual elements are merged with the
user's actual environment, creating a world in which real and virtual
objects can interact.

The public experience developed out of a JPL-designed tool called OnSight.
Using the HoloLens headset, scientists across the world can explore geographic
features on Mars and even plan future routes for the Curiosity rover.

"The origin of "Destination: Mars" is part of what makes it so authentic
and unique," said Jeff Norris, who directs the JPL Ops Lab, which designed
OnSight. "Everything you see in the experience came directly from our
spacecraft."

For Microsoft, partnering with JPL allows its HoloLens technology to be
applied in innovative ways. The mixed-reality headset lets researchers
work in new, naturalistic ways, whether it's jumping to locations on the
Martian surface or marking them with virtual annotations that collaborators
can examine.

"We're thrilled to partner with NASA JPL in enabling a whole new way for
its scientists to study Mars via Microsoft HoloLens, and now we're excited
to finally offer the public a glimpse into NASA's use of this transformative
technology," said Scott Erickson, general manager, Microsoft HoloLens.

For more information about "Destination: Mars," visit:

https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/things-to-do/destination-mars.aspx

News Media Contact
Andrew Good
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-393-2433
Andrew...@jpl.nasa.gov

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