Google Flies You to the Moon
Launch into orbit with Buzz Aldrin at your side
By JESSICA GREENE
Updated 12:45 PM EDT, Tue, Jul 21, 2009
It turns out, your computer can have all right stuff to get you to the moon -- in a virtual way, of course.
To commemorate Monday's anniversary of the Apollo 11 crew's first steps on the lunar surface, Mountain View's Google is offering a more wide-ranging view of the Moon, 40 years after humans first landed there.
Space geeks can tour the lunar landing site with with Buzz Aldrin and Jack Schmitt, a pilot on the later Apollo 17 mission, through Moon in Google Earth.
The free software also offers panoramic images shot by the Apollo astronauts, stories and quotes from the astronauts, new video footage and other features.
The Google crew worked with NASA Ames Research Center and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency in developing the free software. The USGS also worked with the team to show the detail of the moon's rocky surface.
The new features are available with the Google Earth 5.0 download.
First Published: Jul 21, 2009 11:17 AM EDT on NBC Bay Area
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