14 DAY TRIAL // This is your chance to witness first hand the Endeavour shuttle orbiting the Earth in the 3D interactive environment provided by Photosynth. At the beginning of this month, Microsoft and NASA debuted a joint initiative designed to allow Photosynth users via IE6, IE7, Firefox 1.5 and Firefox 2.0 to access a luxuriant collection of pictures of the Endeavour shuttle. The 2D images were bundled together constructing a three dimensional representation of the shuttle on the launchpad in the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Following Endeavour's launch, Microsoft and NASA updated the images available in Photosynth. "As the seven-member crew of the Space Shuttle Endeavour prepare for their return to Kennedy Space Center tomorrow morning. We are pleased to announce an update to our collaboration with NASA," revealed Adam Sheppard, Group Product Manager - Live Labs.
The responsibility of taking the images you will be able to view through the NASA Meets Photosynth collection fell with the occupants of the International Space Station. Microsoft revealed that the commander of Endeavour took the shuttle through a complete somersault to permit the photographing of its belly. The photo shoot took place just 625 feet away from the international Space Station before docking. As you will be able to see from the imagery made available by Microsoft, Endeavour suffered some tile damage. "The images revealed tile damage, about 3 inches square. It appears to have been caused by ice that broke off the fuel tank a minute after liftoff," Microsoft revealed.
"Prior to docking at the international space station the Space Shuttle Endeavour did a complete somersault enabling astronauts in the International Space Station to photograph the shuttle's bottom-side. The photos were then sent back to NASA for analysis. The Space Administration has been kind enough to share those images with Microsoft Live Labs. We have taken the photos and created a "synth" so people around the world can take part in the NASA experience. So here it is, your chance to take first-hand look at what you might see on a space-walk," Sheppard added.