NASA Uses “Holoportation” In Space For The First Time
NASA has “holoported” somebody to the International Space Station for the first time, demonstrating a new method for astronauts and people on Earth to interact with one another.
Holoportation 101
Holoportation is the creation of Microsoft research. While the name is one portmanteau of “hologram” and “teleportation,” that does not quite explain the technology– it does not involve any real holograms, nor is anything actually teleported anywhere.
Instead, it is more like a really realistic video conversation powered by mixed reality.
For NASA’s holoportation project, for instance, flight surgeon Josef Schmid was in a space on Earth with cameras recording him from all angles. That footage was fed to a program evolved by Aexa Aerospace that stripped away everything but the doctor himself.
At the same time, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet was using a Microsoft HoloLens blended reality headset aboard the ISS. This headset projected the 3D footage of Schmid in real time, making it seem that the doctor was present on board the space station while they talked.
“Our physical body isn´t there; however, our human entity absolutely is there,” Schmid said. “It does not matter which the space station is traveling 17,500 miles per hour and in constant movement in orbit 250 miles over Earth.”
Face to face
Microsoft has been functioning on holoportation ever since at least 2015; however, the call with Schmid that took place in October 2021 was the 1st time it had virtually sent someone to space.
Now that the technology has proven viable at that long distance, the following step will be holoporting both people on a call, letting the person back on Earth to feel like the astronaut is in the room with them.
As part of Axiom Space’s AX-1 mission, one private astronaut on board the ISS has reportedly already demonstrated that two-way holoportation is possible; however, details on his research have yet to be launched.
Once NASA could do that, Schmid envisions the agency utilizing the technology for “private medical conferences, private psychiatric conferences, private family conferences, and also to bring VIPs onto the space station to visit with astronauts”.
Staying connected
Two-way holoportation could be particularly beneficial for assisting astronauts and their loved ones back on Earth to deal with the emotional stress of being apart, particularly once astronauts begin going on missions to Mars that are expected to last 3 years.
Holoportation on those calls, however, will face a considerable communication delay. A signal takes 5-20 mins to make the journey between both planets (depending on how close they are at any offered time), even traveling at the velocity of light.
“Communication is difficult, whether for medical or mission support reasons or remaining in touch with family members,” wrote NASA. “The staff will need to be connected with Earth and Mission Control, no matter where humans explore”.
Read the original article on Free Think.
