Your perspective is set to change once experiencing space through the SpaceVR.
You won’t need to become an astronaut anymore to get a glimpse of Earth from outer space, as Kickstarter SpaceVR will take you off-planet right from your living room. Many dream of the opportunity to travel beyond the atmosphere of our planet, but only a mere insignificant fraction have achieved that widely-spread dream.
Out of the 7 billion people on Earth, only 536 humans have seen the wonders of outer space and admired the bright blue planet among the darkness. SpaceVR is setting itself upon the path of amending the tragic fact that the majority of people who would want to travel that far, never will.
The Kickstarted campaign aims at gathering $500,000 from private donors, in order to fund the project that would send anyone with a virtual reality headset in space from the comfort of their living room. With the use of their Overview One 3D and 360 degrees camera, they will be able to catch stunning footage from miles above the planet.
Due to their partnership with Made in Space, the high-end and high performing camera will be constructed on Earth and finalized through 3D printing on the International Space Station (ISS). An astronaut will then launch it into space by the end of this year, which will record videos and photographs of the everyday view of space travelers.
The chance of a lifetime will be transformed into an opportunity for many to see, explore and experience the same thrilling feeling and humbling sensation of seeing Earth through VR devices to be released in the following years. Ranging from Samsung’s GearVR to HTC Vive (to be released in the fall), Oculus Rift (early 2016) or Google Cardboard, space will be brought down to our planet.
If the campaign proves itself successful, plans have already been unveiled of future ambitions. The SpaceVR intends on expanding its space travel itinerary, by being sent to the moon in 2017, attached to an asteroid in 2022 and even go as far as Mars by 2026.
According to the company’s CEO Ryan Holmes, this will allow us to experience the Overview Effect that changes the perspective of astronauts upon seeing Earth for the first time from space. The dazzling sight of our blue planet is a reminder of its fragility, a little dot among a vast galaxy that is still largely unexplored.
Borders no longer exists. Humanity stands together from up there, all united in just one tiny place of the universe, and international wars or issues no longer seem as significant. No difference should divide us, not gender, race, religion or nation, for we are all together, a small speck of life among the bright stars and floating into the pitch black.
Image source: kickstarter.com