Monday, August 10, 2015

All Aboard for a NASA Trip to Mars


To celebrate the three year anniversary of the Curiosity Rover's landing on Mars, NASA has released two new applications which allow you to explore the Red Planet from the comfort of your home.

Mars Trek is an interactive map of Mars. The map includes the option to explore Mars in both 2d and 3d. The 2d map includes a number of map views, including infrared and thermal imaging layers. The map also includes a number of 'bookmarks', providing quick links to zoom in on sites on Mars, such as the landing sites of the Curiosity and Opportunity Mars rovers.

The map search option allows you to search for locations on Mars by name. A tools section includes measuring tools and the option to view the overhead position of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Odyssey and Mars Express.


Experience Curiosity allows you to take control of the Curiosity Rover and explore the 3d terrain of Mars on your own. The application allows you to explore four different locations in 3d based on real Mars map data from Curiosity and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

At each location you can rotate the 3d map and explore the view of Mars' terrain. Experience Curiosity also allows you to explore a 3d model of the Mars Curiosity. You can click on the model and learn all about the different components of the rover.

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