An estimated 530 million people watched Apollo 11 land on the Moon in the summer of 1969. Few historical events have ever inspired such a sweeping common experience, and though Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the only humans to make that giant leap in person, millions of spectators vicariously imagined leaving those first dusty footprints on another world.
Now, virtual reality has made it possible to take this hallmark moment in human history one small step further. On Saturday, Immersive VR Education released a new trailer for its ongoing project: The Apollo 11 VR Experience.
The Apollo 11 VR Experience promo. Video: Immersive VREducation/YouTube
The new game, forthcoming on Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Playstation VR, recreates the entirety of Apollo 11’s momentous flight in virtual reality, so that players can relive the mission from the perspective of Armstrong himself. From the detail on the delightfully retro Apollo Guidance Computer to the veracity of communications between the crew and mission control in Houston, the project is geared towards creating an accurate and immersive experience for its audience.
Having successfully been funded on Kickstarter, The Apollo VR Experience is set to drop in “only a few weeks,” according to a recent update from the project team.
“Our goal has always been to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and astronauts and we do believe that there is a child somewhere alive today on this planet that will one day walk on Mars,” the team said. “We do hope that Apollo 11 VR sets them on this path and this is why our VR experience will be freely available to all educational institutes worldwide so that this historic mission can be taught in a way which has not been possible before.”
So if you’ve always wanted to live through your very own Moon shot, now is your chance to do it without enlisting the aid of well-financed federal agencies or enormous combustive rockets. See you at the Earthrise.