How Microsoft's HoloLens Could Boost the Race to Colonize Mars Virtual reality + holograms + Mars = out of this world.

By Kim Lachance Shandrow

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Microsoft | YouTube

Ever wonder what it's like to walk on Mars? You're not the only one.

Take billionaire futurist Elon Musk, for example. Like so many other earthlings, he wants to die on Mars, "just not on impact." He thinks colonizing the Red Planet is humanity's best shot at survival, which is precisely why he founded SpaceX.

Related: Why This Entrepreneur Dreams of Living on Mars

Now you, and Musk, can have a better sense of what it's like to physically walk on Mars' surface. Enter virtual reality and high-tech holograms. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory announced that it is teaming up with Microsoft to bring both nascent technologies and Mars exploration together to simulate what it would be like to actually walk on the planet, perhaps our future home.

Together, the two entities are developing software called OnSight that will allow scientists to "work virtually" on Mars using Microsoft's head-mounted HoloLens display.

The HoloLens virtual reality headset is a goggles-style gizmo that makes 3-D holograms and other digitally simulated stuff appear to float in mid-air in the real-life space around you. Sounds otherworldly enough for a virtually manned mission to Mars, right? Not to mention a marked improvement over eyeballing 3-D stereo views of Martian terrain on a boring, flat computer screen, which is mainly what scientists have had to make do with up to this point.

Related: Elon Musk Wants to Colonize Mars in Order to Fend Off Human Extinction

The big idea is to provide scientists with a better means to plan and conduct Mars Curiosity-aided operations on Mars. Well, virtually. For example, instead of merely inspecting images of Martian rock from a distance via the rover, the HoloLens will enable them to crouch down and take a closer look at land formations, etc.

"OnSight gives our rover scientists the ability to walk around and explore Mars right from their offices," Dave Lavery, of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory, said. "It fundamentally changes our perception of Mars, and how we understand the Mars environment surrounding the rover."

Will this NASA-Microsoft cutting-edge tech collaboration help Musk and other wanna-be Martians eventually arrive and survive on Mars? While not a giant leap for mankind, it could be a small step in the right direction.

Related: Virgin Galactic Lands in Long Beach, Unveils Plan to Launch Small Satellites Into Space

Kim Lachance Shandrow

Former West Coast Editor

Kim Lachance Shandrow is the former West Coast editor at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was a commerce columnist at Los Angeles CityBeat, a news producer at MSNBC and KNBC in Los Angeles and a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times. She has also written for Government Technology magazine, LA Yoga magazine, the Lowell Sun newspaper, HealthCentral.com, PsychCentral.com and the former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Coop. Follow her on Twitter at @Lashandrow. You can also follow her on Facebook here

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Marketing

Don't Just Babble on LinkedIn — You Need to Carve Out Your Own Niche. Here's Why.

To ultimately unlock the full potential of your LinkedIn experience, you need to establish yourself as a thought leader in a specific niche. This is why (and how).

Growing a Business

How an Executive Coach Can Help You Set Better Goals — And Transform Your Business

Ways to enhance your competitive advantage — and psychological wellbeing — with the assistance of a seasoned, results-focused professional.

Side Hustle

He Launched His Creative Side Hustle Out of a Garage. Now It's Worth $225 Million.

Tom Humble, CXO and founder of E.C.D. Automotive Design, followed his passion for custom auto design into big business.

Business News

This Company Promised to Transform Drive-Thrus With AI — But the Secret Powering Its Tech? Humans.

Presto Automation Inc., one of several major players in AI-ordering tech, has made headlines for using off-site employees in places like the Phillippines.

Side Hustle

Anyone Can Start a Passive Income Side Hustle For Easy Money — But Only If You Know These 5 Essential Tips First.

The rise of digital automation technology has made starting a passive income side hustle easier and more accessible than ever before.

Growing a Business

7 Strategies to Secure Business from Fellow Entrepreneurs

When implemented, these seven strategies will be valuable and helpful in growing your brand and ultimately increasing your revenue.