Next Best Thing to Being There

The shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to launch August 8. 2007 at 6:36 p.m.
EDT.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

Tice F. DeYoung alerted me to a post that has the following blog and
suggested that the lunar-update list might be interested
It contains the NASA News post which I copied below as well.
- LRK -
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http://htdaw.blogsource.com/post.mhtml?post_id=456612

  Next best thing to Being There ...

Monday, August 06, 2007 at 1:08 PM EDT
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Google Alerts also located a number of news alerts and blogs for the
shuttle.
You might also be interested in seeing what others are saying.
- LRK -

Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
==============================================================
As posted in NASA News. - LRK -
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Aug. 6, 2007

Allard Beutel
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-4769
allard.beutel@nasa.gov

Jonas Dino
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
650-604-5612/207-3280
jdino@mail.arc.nasa.gov

Kathy Gill
Microsoft Live Labs, Redmond, Wash.
503-443-7000
grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov

RELEASE: 07-170

NASA, MICROSOFT LAUNCH COLLABORATION WITH IMMERSIVE PHOTOGRAPHY

WASHINGTON - On Monday, NASA and Microsoft Corporation of Redmond,
Wash., released an interactive, 3-D photographic collection of the
space shuttle Endeavour preparing for its upcoming mission to the
International Space Station. Endeavour is scheduled to launch from
NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Aug. 8 at 6:36
p.m. EDT.

For the first time, people around the world can view hundreds of high
resolution photographs of Endeavour, Launch Pad 39A, and the Vehicle
Assembly Building at Kennedy in a unique 3-D viewer. NASA and
Microsoft's Live Labs team developed the online experience using
hundreds of photographs and a photo imaging technology called
Photosynth. Using a click-and-drag interface, viewers can zoom in to
see intimate details of the shuttle booster rockets or zoom out for a
more global view of the launch facility. The software uses
photographs from standard digital cameras to construct a 3-D view
that can be navigated and explored online. The NASA images can be
viewed at Microsoft's Live Labs at:

http://labs.live.com

"This collaboration with Microsoft gives the public a new way to
explore and participate in America's space program," said William
Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for Space Operations,
Washington. "We're also looking into using this new technology to
support future missions."

"With Photosynth, we take pictures of an environment and knit them
together into an experience that people can move through like a 3-D
video game," said Microsoft Live Labs Architect Blaise Aguera y
Arcas. "NASA provided us with some outstanding images, and the result
is an experience that will wow anyone wanting to get a closer look at
NASA's missions."

The NASA collections were created in collaboration between Microsoft's
Live Lab, Kennedy and NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field,
Calif.

"We see potential to use Photosynth for a variety of future mission
activities, from inspecting the International Space Station and the
Hubble Space Telescope to viewing landing sites on the moon and
Mars," said Chris C. Kemp, director of Strategic Business Development
at Ames.

Photosynth was created in collaboration between Microsoft and the
University of Washington. The software combines hundreds or thousands
of regular digital photos of a scene to present a detailed 3-D model
of a subject, giving viewers the sensation of smoothly gliding around
the scene from every angle. A collection can be constructed using
photos from a single source or multiple sources. The NASA Photosynth
collection also includes the return of the space shuttle Atlantis to
the Kennedy Shuttle Landing Facility from Edwards Air Force Base,
Calif., in July.

Microsoft Live Labs is an applied research organization focused on the
incubation of innovative, Internet technologies to improve and
accelerate the next evolution of Microsoft's Internet products and
services.

For more information about space shuttle Endeavour's STS-118 mission,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle


-end-
========================================================

Google News Alert for: *NASA Shuttle*

Blanco, Olivier guests at *shuttle* launch
<http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070806/NEWS01/7080603
4>
The Daily Advertiser - Lafayette,LA,USA
Michoud manufactures the external fuel tank for *NASA's shuttle* program
and a top *NASA* official told the Legislature earlier this year that
the facility will *...*
See all stories on this topic
<http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ncl=http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dl
l/article%3FAID%3D/20070806/NEWS01/70806034>


Company Helps Teachers to 'Spice Up' Science Curriculum *...*
<http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-06-20
07/0004640108&EDATE=>
PR Newswire (press release) - New York,NY,USA
*NASA's Shuttle* Mission, scheduled to launch August 8th, is the initial
flight of the first educator trained as a Mission Specialist, Barbara
Morgan. *...*
See all stories on this topic
<http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ncl=http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories
.pl%3FACCT%3D104%26STORY%3D/www/story/08-06-2007/0004640108%26EDATE%3D>


Mission Endeavour: *Shuttle* Commander, Pilot Aim for Orbit
<http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/070805_sts118_cdr_plt.html>
Space.com - USA
By Tariq Malik *NASA's shuttle* Endeavour will have a pair of seasoned
astronauts at the helm when it rockets towards the International Space
Station (ISS) *...*
See all stories on this topic
<http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ncl=http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/0708
05_sts118_cdr_plt.html>


*NASA* Announces Web Coverage of Next Space *Shuttle* Mission
<http://newsblaze.com/story/20070803174951tsop.nb/newsblaze/TOPSTORY/Top-Stories
.html>
NewsBlaze - Folsom,CA,USA
Visitors to *NASA's shuttle* Web site can read about the crew's progress
and watch the spacewalks, which will be broadcast live from the space
station. *...*
See all stories on this topic
<http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ncl=http://newsblaze.com/story/20070803174951
tsop.nb/newsblaze/TOPSTORY/Top-Stories.html>


Space *Shuttle* Endeavour is scheduled to launch its latest mission
*...* <http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=3451944>
ABC News - USA
My understanding and that of the rest of my crew with regard to *NASA's*
policy on alcohol and flying aircraft, or spacecraft, was no different
before this *...*
See all stories on this topic
<http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ncl=http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/stor
y%3Fid%3D3451944>


Microsoft, *NASA* Allow For 3D *Shuttle* View
<http://www.e-pressen.dk/shownewsb.php?id=79087>
E-pressen - Frederiksberg,Sjælland,Denmark
Its much like a 3D video game--people can explore, walk around or fly
around the *shuttle*, said Adam Sheppard, group product manager for
Microsoft Live Labs, *...*
See all stories on this topic
<http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ncl=http://www.e-pressen.dk/shownewsb.php%3Fi
d%3D79087>


Microsoft Teams Up With *NASA* To Offer 3-D *Shuttle* Views
<http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201203270>
InformationWeek - Manhasset,NY,USA
By Paul McDougall Microsoft has joined forces with *NASA* to give
Internet users a three-dimensional tour of the space *shuttle* Endeavour
as it sits on the *...*
See all stories on this topic
<http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ncl=http://www.informationweek.com/news/showA
rticle.jhtml%3FarticleID%3D201203270>


Google Blogs Alert for: *NASA Shuttle*

Microsoft, *NASA* Allow For 3D *Shuttle* View
<http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/06/079210>
By Slashdot.org
C|Net reports that a 3D software version of the space *shuttle* Endeavor
is in the works, thanks to a collaboration project between Microsoft and
*NASA*. The Photosynth viewer will allow fans of the space program an
unprecedented level of *...*
Slashdot - http://slashdot.org/

Countdown begins for new *NASA shuttle*
<http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Countdown_underway_for_new_NASA_shu_08062007.html>
*NASA* on Monday forecast a 70 percent chance of good weather for
Wednesday's space *shuttle* launch, an event the US space agency hopes
will help the public forget the recent stories of drunk and lovesick
astronauts. *...*
RawStory.com Headlines - http://rawstory.com/

Microsoft Teams Up With *NASA* To Offer 3-D *Shuttle* Views
<http://www.geekwithlaptop.com/microsoft-teams-up-with-nasa-to-offer-3-d-shuttle
-views/>
By Sean
Microsoft has joined forces with *NASA* to give Internet users a
three-dimensional tour of the space *shuttle* Endeavour as it sits on
the launch pad at Florida's Kennedy Space Center. Thanks to a technology
called Photosynth that Microsoft *...*
Geek With Laptop - http://www.geekwithlaptop.com

Microsoft, *NASA* Team on *Shuttle* Photos
<http://tech.netscape.com/story/2007/08/06/microsoft-nasa-team-on-shuttle-photos
>
By jeremytoday
To highlight the launch of the US Space *Shuttle* Endeavour Tuesday,
Microsoft has teamed up with *NASA* to provide exclusive 3D views of the
craft and a look at how the space agency prepares it for launch using
Microsoft's Photosynth *...*
Netscape.com Gadgets & Tech Stories - http://www.netscape.com

Microsoft, *NASA* Partner to Visualize *Shuttle*
<http://apb.directionsmag.com/archives/3184-Microsoft,-NASA-Partner-to-Visualize
-Shuttle.html>
By (Adena Schutzberg)
*NASA* and Microsoft are teaming to use Photosynth (Microsoft's
stitching technology to make 2D images 3D visuals) to privide anyone a
downloadable viewer to explore the *Shuttle* Endeavor before its launch
later this week. *...*
All Points Blog - http://apb.directionsmag.com/

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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK
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