At NASA's Ames Research Centre, Moffett Field, Calif., computer scientists have made a giant leap forward to pull as much information from imperfect static images as possible. With their advancement in image processing algorithms, the legacy data from the Apollo Metric Camera onboard Apollo 15, 16 and 17 can be transformed into an informative and immersive 3D mosaic map of a large and scientifically interesting part of the moon. The "Apollo Zone" Digital Image Mosaic (DIM) and Digital Terrain Model (DTM) maps cover about 18 percent of the lunar surface at a resolution of 98 feet (30 meters) per pixel. The maps are the result of three years of work by the Intelligent Robotics Group (IRG) at NASA Ames, and are available to view through the NASA Lunar Mapping and Modelling Portal (LMMP) and Google Moon feature in Google Earth. Read more
Want to meet a Martian or spark lunar conflict? Two former NASA specialists give tips for making the most of Google's 3-D space offerings - and offer hints for finding some little-known gems. Read more
To mark the 40th anniversary this year of Apollo 11, Google's engineers partnered with NASA to add a new layer to their popular -- and free -- mapping program, Google Earth. They inserted a detailed map of the lunar surface, as imaged by U.S. satellites. It becomes especially rich in material at the six sites where U.S. astronauts landed between 1969 and 1972, and where various robotic probes touched down in advance of Apollo.
Google Now Flies You to the Moon, Virtually Forty years ago today, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped down onto the dusty surface of the Moon. Thanks to the Moon in Google Earth, however, no one has to wait to virtually walk in Aldrin's and Armstrong's footsteps.
Google has updated their lunar exploration tool with content from NASA Ames researchers, including high-resolution immersive panoramas from every Apollo landing site (available in context for the first time), historic audio clips, re-projected high-resolution charts, surface imagery, and elevation data from the Clementine and Apollo missions.