The Smithsonian & Meta Recreate The Moon On Earth, Inviting You To Walk On It

Courtesy Meta Immersive Learning, produced by Black Dot Films VR. © 2022 BLACK DOT FILMS, LLC. Image via Smithsonian Institute

The metaverse might be hyped up as a utopian version of Earth, but it also has a moon close to ours. And, soon, you’ll be able to explore it yourself.

The Smithsonian has partnered with Meta’s Immersive Learning platform to simulate the celestial body in virtual reality for a new exhibit called Futures x Meta: Moonwalk. According to the museum, the experience will “bring visitors as close to the lunar surface as possible.”

Courtesy Meta Immersive Learning, produced by Black Dot Films VR. © 2022 BLACK DOT FILMS, LLC. Image via Smithsonian Institute

Scheduled to run from May 4 through June 6 at the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building, Moonwalk comes in time to mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo missions. With a Meta Quest 2 headset on, visitors will be immersed in an environment close to the one NASA astronauts ventured into those years back. They’ll be able to kick up moon dust, take in lunar views, observe the rover roaming the surface, and listen in on the actual conversations of astronauts.

The realism draws from thousands of archival images rarely shown to the public, 3D scans from the Smithsonian’s collections, VR technology, and audio recordings from NASA expeditions.

Courtesy Meta Immersive Learning, produced by Black Dot Films VR. © 2022 BLACK DOT FILMS, LLC. Image via Smithsonian Institute

Moonwalk joins the Smithsonian’s ongoing exhibition of “artifacts of the future.” This particular partnership with Meta is noteworthy, as it offers the public an otherworldly glimpse at how the metaverse can be utilized to facilitate education in an experiential way.

[via VentureBeat and Fast Company, images via Smithsonian Institute]