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Nasa has asked developers and designers to create scenarios inside the virtual world that the first crew members could face when they reach Mars. The context is closely simulated to reality ranging from setting up bases and securing power supplies to extreme situations such as dust storms and radiation.
In partnership with HeroX, the NASA MarsXR Challenge community supply solution platform seeks up to 20 winners, sharing a total prize pool of $70,000.
Key items of the Mars simulation project
To win, participants will go through 5 challenges including: Camping, Scientific Research, Maintenance, Discovery and a general category called “Blow Our Mind”. In each situation, developers need to create resources and processes that future astronauts can follow when wearing VR glasses in preparation for the mission.
NASA isn’t the only agency that holds the expectation of reaching Mars. Billionaire Elon Musk has announced a goal of having humans on the Red Planet by the end of the decade, and China says it will achieve that by the end of the 2030s. Musk has previously acknowledged that his first expedition to Mars would be hard work, dangerous and in cramped conditions — likened to ‘like the old West’.
The virtual Mars world created by NASA and Epic Games using Unreal Engine 5 covers the full range of days, the orange of the day will turn blue at night. There will also be changing weather conditions, mars’ gravity is also calculated, and there are more than 400 square kilometers of actual terrain, which has been studied on Mars.
NASA is looking for help building out its Mars VR simulator – https://t.co/fUZp8DP0bF
— Scott Manley (@DJSnM) May 7, 2022
Developers will have access to the Virtual Reality (XR) testing environment, which also includes certain default content such as spaces and moving devices.
To facilitate research, development, and experimentation using virtual reality, NASA works with Buendea, a company that aims to innovate in the areas of immersive technology, simulation, and training.
Seb Loze, Unreal Engine Sales Manager at Epic Games said:
“Creators can use Unreal Engine to build realistic simulation scenarios to help NASA prepare for future missions, whether it’s going to the moon or going to Mars. We are looking forward to seeing the simulations that the community offers.”
