Maps of the Moon

Beach Fanatic

Sep 19, '07 · 11:47 AM1,148

NASA Maps the Moon With Google
New higher-resolution lunar imagery and maps that include NASA multimedia content now are available on the Google Moon Web site.

Updates include new content from the Apollo missions, including dozens of embedded panoramic images, links to audio clips and videos, and descriptions of the astronauts' activities during the missions. The new content is overlaid on updated, higher-resolution lunar maps. Also added are detailed charts of different regions of the moon suitable for use by anyone simulating a lunar mission.

"NASA's objective is for Google Moon to become a more accurate and useful lunar mapping platform that will be a foundation for future web-based moon applications, much like the many applications that have been built on top of Google Maps," said Chris C. Kemp, director of strategic business development at NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. "This will make it easier for scientists everywhere to make lunar data more available and accessible."

Google Moon's visible imagery and topography are aligned with the recently updated lunar coordinate system and can be used for scientifically accurate mission planning and data analysis. The new site is designed to be user-friendly and encourage the exchange of data and ideas among scientists and amateur astronomers.

This announcement closely follows the release of new NASA content in Google Earth, including photographs taken by NASA astronauts and imagery from NASA's Earth observing satellite sensors, such as the Sea-viewing Wide Field of View Sensor, Landsat and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer.

Astronaut photography was developed in collaboration with the Crew Earth Observations team, part of the Image Science and Analysis Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston. Satellite imagery of Earth was developed in partnership with the Earth Observatory team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

The alliance was accomplished under a Space Act Agreement signed in December 2006 by Google and NASA's Ames Research Center. Google is headquartered near Ames in northern California's Silicon Valley.

For more information on Google Moon, visit:

http://moon.google.com

For more information on Google Earth, visit:

http://earth.google.com

For information about NASA, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

Replies

SoWal Insider

Sep 19, '07 · 12:49 PM#2

I can't find the box to put a street address in.

SoWal Expert

Sep 19, '07 · 3:20 PM#3

That is really interesting. I recently read that Google was challenging civilians to be the first to soft-land a rover on the moon, and take images, sending them back to Earth. As incentive, they are offering $15 Million to the first person/team to achieve it. There are other specifics of the race, but I cannot recall them.

Beach FanaticAuthor

Sep 19, '07 · 3:33 PM#4

That is really interesting. I recently read that Google was challenging civilians to be the first to soft-land a rover on the moon, and take images, sending them back to Earth. As incentive, they are offering $15 Million to the first person/team to achieve it. There are other specifics of the race, but I cannot recall them.

Glad you liked it SJ. I wonder who will win the prize?

Beach Fanatic

Sep 19, '07 · 3:41 PM#5

Glad you liked it SJ. I wonder who will win the prize?

For $15 mil?? Somebody who doesn't mind spending more than the prize amount is worth would be my guess. ;-)

While I realize the winner wouldn't need to spend $$ like NASA thanks to "standing on the shoulders of giants" I would still think it would be more than $15 million to do it.

SJ, you build it and I'll light the fuse. :yikes:

Beach FanaticAuthor

Sep 19, '07 · 3:52 PM#6

Make that a long fuse.....

SoWal Expert

Sep 19, '07 · 4:05 PM#7

For $15 mil?? Somebody who doesn't mind spending more than the prize amount is worth would be my guess. ;-)

While I realize the winner wouldn't need to spend $$ like NASA thanks to "standing on the shoulders of giants" I would still think it would be more than $15 million to do it.

SJ, you build it and I'll light the fuse.

The gov't contracts which might come from accomplishing such a thing in the private sector, would more than pay for itself. Plus, the advertising alone, would be great for any company winning the contest.

Paying people for their time would be the most expensive part. The ship and rover need not be huge to get to the moon. The rover needs to be able to travel only something like 500 meters, taking the images. For those techy guys, it shouldn't be that difficult. The technology that was used to get the first man on the moon and back, had less memory than an old school Atari. It ain't rocket science. Wait a minute. Maybe it IS rocket science. :lol:

Edited Sep 19, '07 · 4:08 PM

Beach FanaticAuthor

Sep 19, '07 · 4:13 PM#8

Moon 2.0: Google Funds $30 Million Lunar X Prize

By Richard Koman
September 14, 2007 12:05PM

X Prize Foundation founder Peter Diamandis said that it's unlikely government will return to the moon in the next six to eight years, so the Google Lunar X Prize "seeks to create a global private race to the moon that excites and involves people around the world and accelerates space exploration for the benefit

Beach Fanatic

Sep 19, '07 · 4:13 PM#9

The gov't contracts which might come from accomplishing such a thing in the private sector, would more than pay for itself. Plus, the advertising alone, would be great for any company winning the contest.

Aha! Very true.

Paying people for their time would be the most expensive part. The ship and rover need not be huge to get to the moon. The rover needs to be able to travel only something like 500 meters, taking the images. For those techy guys, it shouldn't be that difficult. The technology that was used to get the first man on the moon and back, had less memory than an old school Atari. It ain't rocket science. Wait a minute. Maybe it IS rocket science.

Hey, I have a 2600 lying around somewhere complete with Pitfall and the likes. We're halfway there. Now all we need is a polaroid, some tin cans and a **** load of twine.

SoWal Expert

Sep 19, '07 · 4:24 PM#10

Looks like I was off on the prize amount, if that article is correct.

Beach Fanatic

Sep 19, '07 · 6:07 PM#11

I forget his name but he owns Virgin, Probable contender, I would guess. :idontno:

SoWal Expert

Sep 19, '07 · 8:31 PM#12

I forget his name but he owns Virgin, Probable contender, I would guess.

Richard Branson, but this rover trip doesn't need to include people. :floor:

You are right though, he will probably set up a team of scientists.

SoWal Insider

Sep 19, '07 · 8:42 PM#13

The gov't contracts which might come from accomplishing such a thing in the private sector, would more than pay for itself. Plus, the advertising alone, would be great for any company winning the contest.

Paying people for their time would be the most expensive part. The ship and rover need not be huge to get to the moon. The rover needs to be able to travel only something like 500 meters, taking the images. For those techy guys, it shouldn't be that difficult. The technology that was used to get the first man on the moon and back, had less memory than an old school Atari. It ain't rocket science. Wait a minute. Maybe it IS rocket science.

Don't underestimate Nazi rocket scientists. NASA has never had the same mojo since Von Braun. I'll bet NASA will bungle the next attempt at the moon just because modern equipment will be complicated and vulnerable to glitches.

SoWal Expert

Sep 19, '07 · 8:44 PM#14

Don't underestimate Nazi rocket scientists. NASA has never had the same mojo since Von Braun. I'll bet NASA will bungle the next attempt at the moon just because modern equipment will be complicated and vulnerable to glitches.

If Google gets the private sector to the Moon, NASA may not need to spend the excess money to go.