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Meta: Spacewalk from the ISS

The first ever spacewalk in cinematic VR and a winner of two Webby Awards.

Challenge

In summer 2021, Facebook made history by changing its name to Meta and announcing a focus on the metaverse. They approached us to help them create an equally historic closing event to cap off Connect 2021, a day dedicated to the developers who will be building the metaverse.

Solution

Our partners, Felix & Paul Studios, had been working with NASA on the largest VR production ever filmed in space, and they were scheduled to film the first ever cinematic spacewalk. What if we could use VR to transport people to an immersive experience of space, together?

Relive the spacewalk here.

A Talented Team Working Around the Clock

We coordinated crews in three cities and aboard the International Space Station to give VR attendees a tour of the ISS, led by NASA astronaut Victor Glover. Attendees were then launched into space, where ISS astronauts Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough spoke about what life is like on the ISS and shared information about their recent scientific research and experiments.

The spacecraft is seen through a window. (15:00 UNTIL-SPACEN,vehicle, technology, light, fisheye, no person, car, science, reflection, wheel, abstract, mirror, design, transportation system, people, round, art, automotive, machine, astronomy, desktop)
The crew of the spacecraft. (MEGAN MCARTHUR SHANE KIMBROUGH Astronaut Astronaut UNTILSPA,astronaut, technology, spacecraft, people, exploration, man, science, woman, business, adult, computer, horizontal, internet, service, communication, paper, space, industry, television, one)

A Spacewalk to Remember

Next, the airlock doors were opened, and participants were taken on a ten-minute spacewalk, where they were given a truly unique perspective on our home planet and human beings’ place in the universe.

A group of people in space. (randigri5th katalinlt brandigri5th virtuallyfifer fusillijesse virtuallyfifer fusillijesse fusi,technology, robot, spacecraft, horizontal, people, science, industry, adult, astronaut, exploration, transportation system, horizontal plane, indoors, outdoors, man, military, missile, airplane, rocket engine, aircraft)

Out-of-This-World Reviews

Those who participated in the ISS event raved about the experience, calling it “absolutely amazing,” “moving” and “almost as exciting as watching Neil Armstrong step foot on the moon.”

The experience went on to earn two Webby Awards in 2022 within the Virtual & Remote section: “360° Video” and “Technology.”

Astronaut, left, and astronaut, right, watch as the spacecraft is lifted from the surface. (spacecraft, exploration, no person, astronomy, science, planet, technology, shuttle, military, rocket engine, observatory, smoke, pollution, ball-shaped, astronaut, telescope, moon, war, travel, snow)
Person in the window of his spacecraft. (UNTIL SPA,snow, man, people, winter, travel, outdoors, exploration, nature, ball-shaped, no person, ice, adventure, indoors, sky, woman, cold, adult, science, high, spherical)
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