Many people have tried and experimented a lot with Google Street View. From checking out a new apartment, to looking around the neighborhood, Street View provided an insight of what it feels like to “actually” be there. It allowed people to have the experience of walking around a specific location without having to step out of the house. The technology provided a lot of convenience for people when it was released. Now, Google added a new feature to the Google Maps app by adding the International Space Station (ISS) on Streetview.
Source: Google Maps, YouTube
The new feature allows users to interactively travel around the station, allowing you to visit all of its modules. You might ask how regular people can tell what they’re looking at. That’s why Google added some navigation boxes all around the space station describing most of the important aerospace technology onboard each module. The navigation boxes on its own is a first for Street View, which may lead to Google expanding it over to more locations. Some boxes are necessary for you to move around the station, since some parts are cut off. This is due to the fact that the ISS isn’t particularly flat like typical streets, thus the need of the Navigation Boxes to serve as ladders which move you vertically along the station
At the time of the pictures being taken, Space X’s Dragon vehicle was also docked at the station, which also enabled the astronauts to show how their cargo was being transported. It also emulates the zero gravity of the station, allowing you to spin around freely 360 degrees around each compartment. This, however, can be hindered by Google’s poor Street View controls. You can’t really ask for much since Street View isn’t really built for this. That aside, it’s still a wonderful experience overall.
Source: Washington Post
Moving around the station, you can see the different parts like the Harmony, Kibo, and the Cubola. Google also provides an in-depth description of each module you’re at, along with a brief history of where it originated and what it’s used for. If you’re a space enthusiast or are just curious of what the inside of a space station looks like, you can try visiting the location on Google Street View here.
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