It was announced yesterday that the world's leading search engine, Google, is to form a partnership with NASA Ames Research Center to offer virtual space flights to internet users.
Currently, the NASA Ames Research Centre already provides Google Inc. with imagery from space. However, under the Space Act Agreement, the two organisations will share a much wider range of information in order to grant earthlings further educational tools. The Space Act Agreement was passed as a federal law, which allows NASA to share staff, equipment and facilities to private companies for research and development purposes.
Under NASA and Google's arrangement, 3D space flights will be the partnership's first project. However, the space programme will also feed Google weather updates and forecasts. In the future, real time weather visualisation and real-time tracking of the International Space Station and space shuttle will also be considered.
A large part of the project will involve Google Earth, the satellite mapping service, becoming part of a large research programme in which user interactions with computers will be tested and researched. Furthermore, NASA hopes that Google, as one of the world's foremost information providers, will be able to support NASA to make their findings more accessible to the general public.
Essentially, Google will help NASA organise their vast amount of information; this will enable the public to access moon landings and other research from space. NASA, on the other hand, will support Google in matters of computing and technical issues, such as large-scale data management. This collaboration should bring together some of the world's most skilled experts, promising to further push back the boundaries of technological innovation.
"Our collaboration with Google will demonstrate that the private and public sectors can accomplish great things together," commented S. Pete Worden, Ames Center director. He added, "I want NASA Ames to establish partnerships with the private sector that will encourage innovation, while advancing the Vision for Space Exploration and commercial interests."
Worden further stated that NASA's partnership with Google will not be exclusive, and that the space programme is interested in further collaborating with other internet portals in the future.
Google is also planning to build a one million square foot facility at NASA's research centre.
