The new virtual reality series co-produced by TIME Studios and filmed by astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) is all set to bring the experience of a VR spacewalk to its viewers.
Even though space tourism is slowly emerging as a mainstream alternative, fewer than 600 people have ever been to space, and owing to the high ticket prices, that number does not seem to be going up rapidly soon. Nevertheless, seeing the Earth from above is said to impact people due to the “overview effect greatly.”
“For me it was an epiphany in slow motion,” said former NASA astronaut Ron Garan. “It’s a profound sense of empathy, a profound sense of community, and a willingness to forgo immediate gratification and take a more multi-generational outlook on progress.”
However, you could essentially have the same experience with the VR spacewalk episode without stepping out of your home.
TIME Studios had teamed up with Canadian film production company Felix & Paul Studios and NASA back in 2019 to create Space Explorers: The ISS Experience. It is a four-part VR series created using 200 hours of footage recorded by astronauts aboard the ISS.
Felix & Paul Studios developed a special 360-degree camera for the project. The device can withstand cosmic radiation, low pressure, and extreme temperature fluctuation. The camera was mounted on a robotic arm extending 50 feet away from the ISS to shoot footage for people to experience a VR spacewalk.
“An immersive series titled ‘The ISS Experience’ would not be complete without taking viewers along for the ultimate ride: a spacewalk outside the International Space Station side by side with two real astronauts,” said Félix Lajeunesse, co-founder of Felix & Paul Studios.
The first two episodes of the series described the arrival of astronauts to the station and the experience of women in space. The third one, due in the fall of 2021, will feature the VR spacewalk. Viewers can experience this unique creation in VR using the Oculus Quest and Rift headsets or 360-mobile format via a 5G mobile carrier.
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