A NASA (The National Aeronautics and Space Administration) astronaut, Jessica Meir, said that VR could help the international space agency to improve future space missions. 

How VR Space Simulation Helps NASA: Here's Astronaut Jessica Meir's Explanation
(Photo : Photo by Aubrey Gemignani/NASA via Getty Images)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen as it is rolled out of the horizontal integration facility at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Crew-2 mission, on April 16, 2021 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. NASA's SpaceX Crew-2 mission is the second crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program.

Meir added that although virtual reality simulation is not perfect or complete, it is still a valuable tool when it comes to space mission preparations. The space expert specifically refers to Space Explorers, a 360-degree VR documentary. 

Right now, this VR experience offers various places and other fictional scenarios. Here are some of them that you should know:

  • The ISS Experience
  • Alegria a Spark of Light
  • Gymnasia
  • Traveling While Black
  • The Marshall From Detroit
  • Jurassic World (Blue) 
  • Isle of Dogs: Behind the Scenes
  • The Confessional
  • Through the Ages: President Obama 

If you want to experience more of these, all you need to do is visit Felix and Paul Studios' official website. But, you need to remember that Oculus Rift, Gear VR, or Windows Mixed Reality is required. 

How VR helps NASA

According to CNET's latest report, Meir explained that VR technology could help her and other astronauts to share their experiences with people who are on Earth. 

How VR Space Simulation Helps NASA: Here's Astronaut Jessica Meir's Explanation
(Photo : Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA/Getty Images)
In this handout image provided by NASA, the Soyuz MS-18 rocket is launched with Expedition 65 NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Oleg Novitskiy at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on April 9, 2021 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft will send NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Oleg Novitskiy on a mission to the International Space Station.

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"We're kind of used to that as astronauts already: We're always under the microscope, and we have other cameras on the space station throughout our workday, pretty much always recording what we're doing up there," said Meir. 

"It really gives us a way of sharing our experiences," she added. 

Aside from this, the astronaut also said that VR is really essential when it comes to relaying their research and studies to those stationed on the planet. She said that their experiences are usually hard to describe in words, which VR innovation could solve.  

NASA already tested VR technology

NASA Gov's previous report confirmed that the international agency already tested mixed-reality innovation. The space company said that it worked with mixed reality technologies. These include augmented reality apps and VR headsets. If you want to know more details, all you need to do is click here.

For more news updates about NASA and its upcoming space innovations, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. 

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Written by: Giuliano de Leon

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