Spacecraft 3D: Nifty robotic space travel augmented-reality app from NASA JPL

I recently had a chance to visit NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory with Miles O'Brien. At the NASA center in Pasadena, engineers are readying for the long-anticipated landing of the Mars Curiosity rover on Aug. 5. During our visit, we met with the team behind a cool new iOS app from JPL: NASA's Spacecraft 3D, an augmented reality application that allows users to "learn about and interact with a variety of spacecraft that are used to explore our solar system, study Earth, and observe the universe."

Using a printed AR Target and the camera on your mobile device, you can get up close with these robotic explorers, see how they move, and learn about the the engineering feats used to expand our knowledge and understanding of space. Spacecraft 3D will be updated over time to include more of the amazing spacecraft that act as our robotic eyes on the earth, the solar system and beyond!

The app is really a ton of fun. You can download it here for free, iPad and iPhone and iPod Touch. Here's the JPL press release announcing its release.

• [royaltrux]

  Very cool.  I noticed the Mars Curiosity Rover model doesn’t show the Morse Code “JPL” they put on the tire treads. Oh well, a very detailed model otherwise.

  http://www.arrl.org/news/new-mars-rover-to-feature-morse-code

• [paulj]

  I had some fun with my cat and the Curiosity model. She can’t actually see it, which is good since she may try to kill it if she did.

• [kpurcell]

  Here is some augmented reality for you - http://spaceyourface.nasa.gov/