UPDATED 11:04 EDT / SEPTEMBER 06 2011

Big Data Gives NASA a Great Consumer App for Space

I’ve always been fascinated by the vastness of space and everything that comprises it.  When we were kids, my siblings and I shared this telescope that our mom bought for us.  It wasn’t one of those high-end telescopes, but we were able to appreciate the stars in the night sky.  I love going to observatories or anywhere where there’s an exhibit of some sort about space, but I always felt like there was something missing.  Photos of space, planets asteroids and such always intrigued me but I always wanted to see more, know more.  And finally, after all these years, someone finally came up with something that brings people closer to outer space.

NASA launched “Eyes on the Solar System,” a web app that lets one see our galaxy in its full glory.  Users can manipulate time and space, visit planets or asteroids and even see satellites and NASA spacecraft.  The app uses game controls with the use of a keyboard or mouse to manipulate the point of view, travel through time and explore the contents of the app.

“This is the first time the public has been able to see the entire solar system and our missions moving together in real time,” said Jim Green, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division at the agency’s Headquarters in Washington. “It demonstrates NASA’s continued commitment to share our science with everyone.”

Users have the option of experiencing the app in real-time, or browse through NASA data dating back form 1950 and projected to 2050.  Users can also see the five-year journey of the recently launched Juno spacecraft, which started its voyage to Jupiter August 5, 2011.

The point of view can be switched from faraway to close-up, to right “on board” spacecraft.  Location, motion and appearance are based on predicted and reconstructed mission data, presenting another great way in which big data is being put to use, especially for consumer enjoyment and education.  Dozens of controls on a series of pop-up menus allow users to fully customize what they see, and video and audio tutorials explain how to use the tool’s many options. Users may choose from 2-D or 3-D modes, with the latter simply requiring a pair of red-cyan glasses to see.

Though the web app is still in beta, it has already made appearances in science conferences, classrooms and at the 2011 South by Southwest Interactive Conference in Austin, Texas.

The web app needs to be installed and is compatible for both Mac and Windows users.  You can download the app here and the updates regarding the web app is available in NASA’s Twitter account.

If Android smartphones are getting banned in Europe, they seem to be popular in space.  Way back in December of last year, seven payloads equipped with Nexus S, an Android-powered smartphone, were sent nearly in outer space as Googlers just wanted to test Android’s capabilities.  And just last week, NASA sent two Nexus-S smartphones on the last manned space shuttle, Atlantis, as part of the STS-135 mission.

The Nexus S will upgrade three volleyball-sized Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) which are small robotic satellites originally developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  Nexus S will help the SPHERES perform tasks which are usually done by astronauts like recording sensor data and capturing video footage.

NASA isn’t the only one using Android for their space endeavors.  According to Wired, the University of Surrey and Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) in England are said to be developing an Android-powered satellite to be launched into lower-earth orbit before year’s end.  The satellite is dubbed as Strand-1 (Surrey Training, Research and Nanosatellite Demonstrator) and is an 11.8-inch satellite that will take pictures of Earth.

The use of Android is due to the fact that it is an open source platform, which makes it easy to customize so it would comply with the specifications needed to be able to work in outer space.


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