Video: NASA Scientists Fact-Check 'Star Trek' Tech
Elaine Thompson/AP
The space agency knows a thing or two about going boldly where no man has gone before.
In every generation of "Star Trek," viewers marvel at the advanced technology featured on the Starship Enterprise and wonder: Is technology like the warp drive even possible?
While NASA isn't currently able to distort space in order to travel faster than the speed of light, the space agency has some other tech that might resemble what Kirk, Spock and company use.
While Enterprise's force field deflector shields protect the ship from enemy fire, NASA currently relies on magnetic shielding to protect spacecraft from radiation.
"We just put the Juno spacecraft in orbit around Jupiter where this radiation environment is a real huge hazard to the spacecraft," said Brian Muirhead, chief engineer of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "We put all of our sensitive electronics inside a titanium vault and that allows the electronics to survive this very hazardous environment."
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Meanwhile, you can see technology similar to Star Trek's holodeck by using a pair of virtual reality goggles.
"The idea of the holodeck is evident today in virtual reality," Muirhead said. "I've worn a HoloLens in which I'm able to walk on the surface of Mars."
To learn more, check out the video below from Wired: