Video: Virtual Reality Tech Brings Mars to Earth
NASA's Curiosity Rover explores Martian landscape. NASA
Viewers will be able to get up close and personal with the Curiosity Rover and the Martian landscape.
Dreaming of a trip to Mars? Unless you're one of NASA's astronaut candidates, that dream is sadly unlikely to come true.
The space agency has partnered with Microsoft HoloLens, however, to give space enthusiasts a glimpse into what stepping on Martian soil would be like.
NASA engineers already use virtual reality and mixed reality technologies when doing things like assembling spacecraft. Those working on Mars mission operations use OnSight.
"OnSight is a powerful tool for our scientists and engineers to explore Mars, but because we always felt it shouldn't only remain within NASA, we've taken the core of OnSight and made an amazing experience that allows the public to explore the Red Planet," said Doug Ellison, visualization producer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
NASA will add to that holographic captures of Apollo astronaut and second man on the moon, Buzz Aldrin, as well as Curiosity Rover driver Erisa Hines to act as Martian tour guides.
"Destination: Mars" will open as an interactive experience at the Kennedy Space Center's visitor center in the summer of 2016.
To get a peek, check out the video below from NASA: