NASA Gives Public New Internet Tool to Explore the Solar System

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Stephanie L. Smith 818-393-5464
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
slsmith@jpl.nasa.gov

Dwayne Brown 202-358-1726
NASA Headquarters, Washington
dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov

News release: 2011-277 Sept. 2, 2011

NASA Gives Public New Internet Tool to Explore the Solar System

The full version of this story with accompanying images is at:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2011-277&cid=release_2011-277

PASADENA, Calif. -- NASA is giving the public the power to journey through the solar system
using a new interactive Web-based tool.

The "Eyes on the Solar System" interface combines video game technology and NASA data to
create an environment for users to ride along with agency spacecraft and explore the cosmos.
Screen graphics and information such as planet locations and spacecraft maneuvers use actual
space mission data.

"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."

The virtual environment uses the Unity game engine to display models of planets, moons,
asteroids, comets and spacecraft as they move through our solar system. With keyboard and
mouse controls, users cruise through space to explore anything that catches their interest. A free
browser plug-in, available at the site, is required to run the Web application.

"You are now free to move about the solar system," said Blaine Baggett, executive manager in
the Office of Communication and Education at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in
Pasadena, Calif. "See what NASA's spacecraft see -- and where they are right now -- all without
leaving your computer."

Users may experience missions in real time, and "Eyes on the Solar System" also allows them to
travel through time. The tool is populated with NASA data dating back to 1950 and projected to
2050.
The playback rate can be sped up or slowed down. When NASA's Juno spacecraft launched on
Aug. 5, 2011, users could look ahead to see the mission's five-year journey to Jupiter in a matter
of seconds.

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. 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.

"By basing our visualization primarily on mission data, this tool will help both NASA and the
public better understand complex space science missions," said Kevin Hussey, manager of
Visualization Technology Applications and Development at JPL, whose team developed "Eyes
on the Solar System."

"Eyes on the Solar System" is in beta release. It has been demonstrated at science conferences, in
classrooms and at the 2011 South by Southwest Interactive Conference in Austin, Texas.

Designers are updating "Eyes on the Solar System" to include NASA science missions launching
during the coming months, including GRAIL to the moon and the Mars Science Laboratory
Curiosity rover.

"Eyes on the Solar System" and an introduction video are available at
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eyes .

Updates on new features are available through the tool's Twitter account:
http://twitter.com/NASA_Eyes .

JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

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