NASA, Microsoft Collaborate to Bring Science Fiction to Science Fact

[baa...@earthlink.net]

June 25, 2015

RELEASE 15-139

NASA, Microsoft Collaborate to Bring Science Fiction to Science Fact

NASA and Microsoft are teaming up to develop Sidekick, a new project using
commercial technology to empower astronauts aboard the International Space
Station (ISS).

Sidekick uses Microsoft HoloLens to provide virtual aid to astronauts working
off the Earth, for the Earth. A pair of the devices is scheduled to launch on
SpaceX's seventh commercial resupply mission to the station on June 28.

"HoloLens and other virtual and mixed reality devices are cutting edge
technologies that could help drive future exploration and provide new
capabilities to the men and women conducting critical science on the
International Space Station," said Sam Scimemi, director of the ISS program
at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This new technology could also empower
future explorers requiring greater autonomy on the journey to Mars."

The goal of Sidekick is to enable station crews with assistance when and
where they need it. This new capability could reduce crew training
requirements and increase the efficiency at which astronauts can work in
space.

"Microsoft HoloLens is about transforming the ways you create, connect, and
explore," said Alex Kipman, technical fellow, Windows and Devices Group at
Microsoft. "Sidekick is a prime example of an application for which we
envisioned HoloLens being used - unlocking new potential for astronauts and
giving us all a new perspective on what is possible with holographic
computing."

NASA and Microsoft engineers tested Project Sidekick and the Microsoft
HoloLens aboard NASA's Weightless Wonder C9 jet to ensure they function as
expected in free-fall in advance of their delivery to the microgravity
environment of the space station.

Sidekick has two modes of operation. The first is "Remote Expert Mode,"
which uses Skype, part of Microsoft, to allow a ground operator to see what a
crew member sees, provide real-time guidance, and draw annotations into the
crew member's environment to coach him or her through a task. Until now,
crew members have relied on written and voice instructions when performing
complex repair tasks or experiments.

The second mode is "Procedure Mode," which augments standalone procedures
with animated holographic illustrations displayed on top of the objects with
which the crew is interacting. This capability could lessen the amount of
training that future crews will require and could be an invaluable resource
for missions deep into our solar system, where communication delays
complicate difficult operations.

After the devices arrive at the space station, crew members will test and
verify the software and hardware functionality in a standalone mode. A second
set of devices to be delivered on a future mission will test and verify
Sidekick functionality with network connectivity to test the Remote Expert
Mode. NASA expects astronauts on the station will first use Sidekick by the
end of the year.

Sidekick also will be used and evaluated during the NASA Extreme Environment
Mission Operations (NEEMO) 20 expedition set to begin July 21 when a group of
astronauts and engineers live in the world's only undersea research station,
Aquarius, for two weeks. The Aquarius habitat and its surroundings provide a
convincing analog for space exploration.

The Sidekick project is part of a larger partnership formed by NASA and
Microsoft to explore applications of holographic computing in space
exploration. Earlier this year, NASA and Microsoft announced a collaboration
to develop software called OnSight, a new technology that will enable
scientists to work virtually on Mars using the same HoloLens technology.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, led the
development of Sidekick and OnSight. NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston
led testing and certification of Sidekick for use onboard the space station.

"Our team is excited to be building virtual and mixed reality tools that
will make our explorers more efficient and effective," said Jeff Norris,
project lead for Sidekick and OnSight at JPL.

The International Space Station is a convergence of science, technology and
human innovation that enables us to demonstrate new technologies and make
research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. It has been continuously
occupied since November 2000 and, since then, has been visited by more than
200 people and a variety of international and commercial spacecraft. The
space station remains the springboard to NASA's next giant leap in
exploration, including future missions to an asteroid and Mars.

For more about the ISS, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-