Only 536 people have ever been to space; at SpaceVR we ask, what about the other 7 billion? The camera takes its name from a term astronauts use called the “Overview Effect”, where being in space and looking down at the Earth, astronauts are hit with an astounding reality: our planet is a tiny, fragile ball of life in the vast emptiness of space. SpaceVR has developed a 360-degree camera, the Overview One, and made arrangements for it to sit on ISS (its parts 3D-printed by Made in Space) and capture the shots to send back. SpaceVR would need access to around 60 megabits per second to do high-quality live streaming virtual reality from the space station, DeSouza says.
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Have you always wanted to see what the Earth looks like from space, but without having to do all of that “learning to be an astronaut” stuff? “Our project gives everyone the opportunity to become an astronaut and to realistically experience seeing the Earth in its entirety – recognizing its preciousness and fragility in our universe”.
Eventually the goal is to live stream the virtual reality experience, but the problem right now is bandwidth – specifically, the ISS’s connection to the Earth.
“We want to build a strong community that understands that space exploration is now in our hands”. SpaceVR is aiming to making its VR videos work on any VR platform.
For all this to come to fruition, chief technology officer Isaac DeSouza says SpaceVR has needed a little bit of everything: Hardware, approvals, time. There will also be a focus on special events – such as space walks, or a view of Earth on July 4 when fireworks are shooting up into the sky. The Founding Member package have been priced at $250 by SpaceVR.
“I later learned that this sensation is common among those who have been to space, and is known as the ‘overview effect, ‘” Garriott added.
SpaceVR is now seeking $500,000 to cover launch costs and its first year of operations, offering incentives like annual subscriptions as Kickstarter rewards.
Even if this Kickstarter project succeeds, there will be follow-up efforts in the future, projects that would see SpaceVR head to the moon, an asteroid, and as soon as 2026, to Mars. The campaign starts on August 10, 2015 and will run for 30 days until September 10, 2015.
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SpaceVR’s ambitions don’t end in Earth orbit.
