However, conditions on Mars vary wildly from what we know on our own planet. Like Earth, Mars has polar ice caps and clouds in its atmosphere, seasonal weather patterns, volcanoes, canyons and other recognizable features. You’d think Mars would be easier to understand. Today, we’re celebrating the Red Planet! Since our first close-up picture of Mars in 1965, spacecraft voyages to the Red Planet have revealed a world strangely familiar, yet different enough to challenge our perceptions of what makes a planet work. Dodge disasters with a risk management tool made for space missions This software can also be used to provide virtual experiences of places here on Earth, such as caves and lava fields. Using an immersive display, such as a virtual reality headset, scientists could see the Red Planet the way a rover would.

Originally developed for scientists and engineers working on the Curiosity rover mission, OnSight allowed the team a virtual way to walk on and look around Mars. Explore the Red Planet virtually from home with help from the Curiosity rover team

We also have a version that simulates Earth’s atmosphere, allowing users (especially those in the world of drone design) a way to replicate and design for, potentially dangerous conditions without ever stepping away from the computer. The code, Mars (GRAM), is now available to anyone. To prepare for exactly what a spacecraft will face on landing day, no matter the location scientists choose, we created software that simulates the Martian atmosphere.

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