WEBVTT

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[dramatic percussion music]

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- HEY, THERE,
WELCOME TO "NASA LAUNCHPAD."

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I'M YOUR HOST,
RICHARD BLANCHETTE.

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YOU KNOW, ONE OF NASA'S
BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS

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THROUGHOUT THE YEARS,
ASIDE FROM SPACE FLIGHT,

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ASIDE FROM ALL THE EARTH SCIENCE
THEY'VE DONE,

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ASIDE FROM LANDING MEN
ON THE MOON

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AND RETURNING THEM SAFELY,

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HAS BEEN TO INSPIRE PEOPLE.

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AS A MATTER OF FACT,
I WAS INSPIRED,

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AND I'M A PART OF A NASA PROGRAM
CALLED INSPIRE.

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THAT'S THE INTERDISCIPLINARY
NATIONAL SCIENCE PROJECT

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INCORPORATING
RESEARCH AND EDUCATION,

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OPERATED THROUGH NASA'S
OFFICE OF EDUCATION.

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WHAT IS INSPIRE?

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WELL, IT'S A PROGRAM
FOR STUDENTS IN NINTH GRADE

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ALL THE WAY TO FRESHMAN YEAR
IN COLLEGE

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THAT PROVIDES ONLINE RESOURCES,

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NASA-RELATED ACTIVITIES
AND EDUCATIONAL MODULES,

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AND PARTICIPATION
IN VIDEO TELECONFERENCES

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WITH NASA CENTERS.

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AND EACH YEAR IS A SLIGHTLY
DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE.

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IT'S REALLY COOL,
AND I'VE HAD THE CHANCE

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TO DO A LOT OF THINGS
I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD.

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SO NASA INSPIRES.

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AND SPEAKING OF INSPIRATION,

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SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT NOT
KNOW ABOUT NASA

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IS HOW IT HELPS LEAD
TO NEW TECHNOLOGIES

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HERE ON EARTH.

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THESE TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE
BASED ON NASA INNOVATIONS

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ARE CALLED SPINOFFS.

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YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD
OF SOME OF THEM:

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MEMORY FOAM MATTRESSES,
INVISIBLE BRACES,

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EVEN SPEEDO'S
LZR RACER SWIMSUIT.

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THEY WERE ALL DEVELOPED
IN SOME WAY

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WITH THE HELP
OF NASA KNOW-HOW.

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NOW, LET'S TALK ABOUT
A NEWER SPINOFF: GIGAPAN.

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BUT FIRST, WE NEED TO LOOK
AT THE ORIGINAL NASA TECHNOLOGY.

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AND TO DO THAT, WE'RE GOING
TO HAVE TO GO TO MARS.

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THE MARS EXPLORATION ROVERS,
SPIRIT AND OPPORTUNITY,

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LANDED ON MARS IN EARLY 2004

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AND HAVE EASILY
SURPASSED EXPECTATIONS

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FOR THEIR ORIGINAL
90-DAY MISSION.

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THEY'VE BEEN OUT THERE
FOR MORE THAN FIVE YEARS NOW,

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DOING ALL SORTS OF RESEARCH

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AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY
FOR THIS SEGMENT,

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TRANSMITTING BACK
REALLY COOL IMAGES.

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THESE IMAGES WERE TAKEN
WITH THE PANCAM,

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OR PANORAMIC CAMERA,

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WHICH WAS DESIGNED BY NASA'S
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY

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AND CORNELL UNIVERSITY.

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MOUNTED ATOP
EACH OF THE ROVERS,

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THE PANCAM CAN TILT
A FULL 180 DEGREES UP AND DOWN

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AND SWIVEL 360 DEGREES
ALL AROUND,

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SO IT CAN LOOK
IN ANY DIRECTION.

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SOUNDS COOL, RIGHT?

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WELL, ACTUALLY,
IT GETS BETTER.

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THE PANCAM ACTUALLY ONLY TAKES
SMALL 1-MEGAPIXEL IMAGES.

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WAIT.

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MOST DIGITAL CAMERAS
YOU SEE IN STORES THESE DAYS

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TAKE AT LEAST
4-MEGAPIXEL IMAGES, RIGHT?

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SO HOW DO THEY GET THESE HUGE,
DETAILED PANORAMIC SHOTS

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FROM A 1-MEGAPIXEL CAMERA?

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WELL, THEY COMBINE
SEVERAL IMAGES.

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THE ROVER WILL STOP,

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AND THE CAMERA
WILL TAKE A PICTURE,

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SWIVEL, TAKE ANOTHER PICTURE,
SWIVEL,

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AND KEEP DOING THAT UNTIL
EVERY VIEWING ANGLE IS COVERED.

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THEN THOSE IMAGES
ARE TRANSMITTED BACK TO EARTH

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AND GO INTO SPECIAL SOFTWARE

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THAT STITCHES THEM TOGETHER
INTO ONE LARGE IMAGE.

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SO THESE IMAGES
YOU'RE LOOKING AT NOW,

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YEP, THEY'RE
360-DEGREE PANORAMAS

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OF THE MARTIAN SURFACE.

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INCREDIBLE, RIGHT?

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MAKES YOU FEEL
AS IF YOU ARE ACTUALLY THERE.

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NOW, IS THIS TECHNOLOGY
ONLY GOOD

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FOR TAKING PICTURES
ON OTHER PLANETS?

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OF COURSE NOT.

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THERE ARE PLENTY OF PLACES
RIGHT HERE ON GOOD OLD EARTH

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THAT WE COULD USE THIS FOR.

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THE GIGAPAN,
AN UPDATED VERSION

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OF THE MARS
EXPLORATION ROVER PANCAMS,

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WAS CREATED
BY COLLABORATION

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BETWEEN SCIENTISTS FROM NASA
AMES INTELLIGENT ROBOTICS GROUP,

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CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY,
GOOGLE,

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AND NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY.

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TOGETHER THEIR VISION
RESULTED IN A NEW TECHNOLOGY

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THAT COULD BE USED
BY ANY PHOTOGRAPHER

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TO CAPTURE OUR WORLD
IN SPECTACULAR IMAGES.

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IN BASIC TERMS, GIGAPAN
IS AN INTELLIGENT TRIPOD.

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ALL THE PHOTOGRAPHER HAS TO DO
IS SET THE UPPER LEFT

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AND LOWER RIGHT CORNERS
OF THE PANORAMA,

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AND THE GIGAPAN DOES THE REST.

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IT TAKES AS MANY PICTURES
AS IT NEEDS TO

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AND STITCHES THEM ALL TOGETHER
TO MAKE ONE BIG PANORAMIC IMAGE,

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JUST LIKE THE ONES FROM MARS.

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GO TO WWW.GIGAPAN.ORG

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TO CHECK OUT
SOME GIGAPAN PANORAMAS

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TAKEN BY PEOPLE LIKE YOU.

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YOU CAN EVEN ZOOM IN
AND SEE INDIVIDUAL PARTS

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OF THE WHOLE PANORAMA
IN INCREDIBLE DETAIL.

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AND NASA IS STILL WORKING
ON NEW WAYS

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TO CAPTURE
EVEN MORE AMAZING IMAGES.

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JUST GO TO WWW.NASA.GOV

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AND CHECK OUT THE VIDEO
OF THE 2009 INAUGURAL PARADE,

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TAKEN FROM THE TOP
OF NASA'S LUNAR ELECTRIC ROVER.

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LOOKS PRETTY ORDINARY
RIGHT NOW, RIGHT?

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BUT IF YOU CLICK ON THE SCREEN
AND DRAG AROUND,

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YOU CAN CONTROL
THE VANTAGE POINT OF THE CAMERA.

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YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT,
360-DEGREE VIDEO.

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YOU CAN LOOK AROUND
AS IF YOU WERE SITTING

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ON TOP OF THE LER,
RIDING IN THE PARADE.

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WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU
COULD GET 360-DEGREE VIDEO

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TAKEN FROM THE MOON OR MARS

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OR SOMEWHERE ELSE
IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM?

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HOW MUCH COULD YOU LEARN?

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THAT'S ENOUGH
TO INSPIRE ANYBODY.

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AND REMEMBER, INSPIRE,

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THE INTERDISCIPLINARY
NATIONAL SCIENCE PROGRAM

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INCORPORATING RESEARCH
AND EDUCATION.

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WHERE ELSE COULD YOU GET
A ONE-DAY VIP TOUR

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AT A NASA FACILITY,

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A TWO-WEEK
LEARNING EXPERIENCE

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ON THE CAMPUS
OF A PARTICIPATING UNIVERSITY,

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AND EVEN A PAID INTERNSHIP

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WORKING WITH NASA SCIENTISTS
AND ENGINEERS?

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BUT YOU CAN'T GET INVOLVED
IF YOU DON'T APPLY.

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SO FOR MORE INFORMATION,

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GO TO
WWW.NASA.GOV/EDUCATION/INSPIRE.

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WELL, THAT'S IT FOR NOW.

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THANKS FOR WATCHING.

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I'M RICHARD BLANCHETTE,

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AND WE'LL CATCH YOU NEXT TIME
ON "NASA LAUNCHPAD."