Space Shuttle Scenes

By Sara Ferris

In conjunction with the launch of the space shuttle Endeavor, Microsoft Live Labs launched a preview version of its Photosynth photo-imaging technology. Photosynth uses hundreds of digital camera images to construct a 3D environment that can be navigated and explored. The online preview features Endeavour on the launch pad and the interior and surrounding area of the Vehicle Assembly Building, which houses external fuel tanks and flight hardware.

Before docking at the International Space Station, Endeavour did a backflip so that astronauts on the space station could photograph the shuttle’s bottom to detect any tile damage. Some of the nearly 300 images are now viewable through Photosynth. Users can zoom out to view a point-cloud representation of the shuttle, or zoom in to specific areas to view individual photos.

Microsoft's Photosynth displays tiles on a portion of the Space Shuttle Endeavour.

Each photo is processed by computer vision algorithms to create a point-cloud image and describe hundreds of distinctive features within the image. Photos that share features are then linked together in a web. When the same feature is found in multiple images, its 3D position can be calculated.

"With Photosynth, we take pictures of an environment and knit them together into an experience that people can move through like a 3-D video game," said Blaise Aguera y Arcas, architect at Microsoft Live Labs. "NASA provided us with some outstanding images and the result is an experience that will wow anyone wanting to get a closer look at the Endeavour and its travels."

Photosynth lets users navigate around Endeavour and zoom in for greater detail as it sits on the launch pad.

"This collaboration with Microsoft gives the public a new way to explore and participate in America’s space program," said William Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for Space Operations. "We are looking into ways of using this new technology to support future missions."

Visit the Photosynth home page to download the browser-based application and access various image collections. At this time, Photosynth is supported on Windows XP SP2 and Vista RC1 or later.  Be sure to review the hardware requirements before downloading—they're substantial.