Have you ever dreamed of going to a different planet? Now you can — kind of. While a human has not physically been put on Mars yet, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Microsoft have partnered up to build a mixed-reality system that is allowing scientists and engineers to explore Mars. This is the most accurate 3D reconstruction of Mars to have been built. At SXSW the NASA leads of this project will share the story of how it was built, the technologies that enable it, and the future of mixed and virtual reality space exploration.

I interviewed Jeff Norris, Mission Operations Innovation Lead for NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, about his upcoming SXSW Interactive panel “Exploring a Holographic Mars.”

Can you tell me a little about yourself and some of the work you do with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory?

Sure! I lead mission operations innovation for JPL, which means that I lead a lab that’s focused on transforming the ways that we control robots and spacecraft. More generally, we’re interested in building systems that enable people to effectively interact with complex systems. One particular focus of the lab is on the applications of virtual and augmented reality to space exploration.

What sparked your interest in this field?

I think space exploration is cool, but I think the main reason I’m at JPL is that I wanted to play with the best toys. Giant robots, spaceships – it doesn’t get much better than that, except when you throw virtual and augmented reality on top.

Will any HoloLens consumer be able to explore Mars or is this just available for scientists and engineers? Will SXSW badge holders be able to test out this amazing technology during the week of the conference?

We are committed to bringing the experience of walking on Mars in virtual and augmented reality to the public. I can’t think of any better way for us to share this journey with the world, but I don’t have anything specific to announce at this time. Unfortunately, we aren’t able to offer demos at SXSW, but we are planning to share a bit of the experience with the audience during our talk.

What made you want to speak at SXSW?

I think we’re attracted to SXSW because it’s a magnet for innovators and enthusiasts in emerging technology and media. We spoke at SXSW a few years ago and met a lot of great people that we’re still in contact with today. This time, I’m excited that they’re launching a dedicated VR/AR track – I expect it’s going to be an even better experience for us this time around.

What are you hoping will be the biggest takeaway for the audience attending your panel?

For the space and VR enthusiast, I hope they leave inspired by what we’re doing in this emerging field and excited for what’s coming. For the professional, I hope they’ll think about ways that they might be able to collaborate with us on areas of mutual interest.

Video from OpsLab JPL

When and Where:
Friday, March 18
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Hilton Austin Downtown – Salon A / 500 E 4th St

Find out more: Exploring a Holographic Mars