SDA Movers

Astronaut, Susan Helms, looking out the window on the International Space Station

Windows on Earth is a museum exhibit, Web site, and exploration tool, developed by TERC, Inc. (Technical Education Research Centers, an educational non-profit organization), and the Association of Space Explorers, that enables the public to explore an interactive, virtual view of Earth from space.

The program simulates the view of the Earth as seen from a window aboard the International Space Station, in high-resolution, photographically accurate colors and 3D animations. The views include cloud cover, day and night cycles, night time lights, and other features that help make the exhibit realistic and interactive.

Contents

• 1 Earth Visualization Software
• 2 Development and Outreach Partners
• 3 Museums
• 4 Garriott Mission
• 5 See also
• 6 References
• 7 External links

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Earth Visualization Software

Screen capture from Windows on Earth showing the coast of Peru with three marked targets, orbital track, and the 10-minute look-ahead.

Windows on Earth provides the user a view of the Earth from an astronaut’s viewpoint, with interactive photorealistic views of the Earth as if seen from an altitude of 360 km.

Development and Outreach Partners

Windows on Earth was created by people from the Center for Earth and Space Science Education (CESSE) at TERC, a not-for profit math and science education company located in Cambridge, MA, in partnership with the Association of Space Explorers, GeoFusion’s, and WorldSat International and with funding from the National Science Foundation, Informal Science Education.

Additional partners include the Challenger Learning Center and NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

Museums

On the International Space Station, Richard Garriott will use the Windows on Earth software to identify targets for Earth photography.

The Windows on Earth museum exhibit can be found in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Boston’s Museum of Science, the Montshire Museum of Science in Vermont, and the St. Louis Science Center.

Garriott Mission

Windows on Earth flew onboard the International Space Station (ISS). On October 12, 2008, Richard Garriott launched aboard Soyuz TMA-13 to the ISS as a Spaceflight participant.

After the mission, Richard’s photographs, along with ones taken by his astronaut father Owen Garriott, who flew on Skylab 3 (1973) and STS-9 (1983), are available to the public through Windows on Earth. This provides a unique opportunity for comparing areas of Earth photographed by two generations of space explorers, showing how Earth’s surface (and the technology of Earth observation) has changed over 35 years, from 1973 to 2008.

See also

• Google Earth
• NASA World Wind

References

1. ^ TERC (2008). “Explore the Earth from Space”. Technical Education Research Centers. Retrieved on October 12, 2008.
2. ^ a b c d TERC (2008). “How Windows on Earth Works”. TERC. Retrieved on October 12, 2008.
3. ^ TERC (2008). “Windows on Earth”. TERC. Retrieved on October 12, 2008.
4. ^ Rita Karl. “Challenger Center Partners with TERC’s Windows on Earth Program”, SpaceRef.com. Retrieved on October 3, 2008. 
5. ^ National Air and Space Museum (2008). “Center for Earth and Planetary Studies”. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved on October 12, 2008.
6. ^ TERC (2008). “Students and Astronauts use Powerful New Tool to Explore Earth From Space”. Spaceref.com. Retrieved on October 12, 2008.
7. ^ TERC (2008). “Visit Our Museum Exhibits”. TERC. Retrieved on October 12, 2008.
8. ^ Mark Carreau (2008). “$30 million buys Austin resident a ride on Soyuz mission”. The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved on October 12, 2008.
9. ^ Tariq Malik. “Former Astronaut’s Son Signs on as Next Space Tourist”, SPACE.com. Retrieved on October 9, 2007. 
10. ^ WBZ Radio (2008). “Visit outer space without leaving Earth”. WBZ Radio. Retrieved on October 3, 2008.
11. ^ a b TERC (2008). “Richard Garriott’s Mission in October, 2008″. TERC. Retrieved on October 12, 2008.

External links

• Windows on Earth
• GeoFusion, Inc. – Digital Earth visualization system
• WorldSat International, Inc. – Satellite imagery

Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_on_Earth”
Categories: Earth | Science | Science websites | Spaceflight