NSS in SL: Virtual Space

This piece of Mars sits above JPL’s Explorer Island, two sims to our east. It is made of new ’sculpty prims’ based on actual DEM data and is the site being explored by the rover Opportunity. JPL is hoping to have a model rover moving across the terrain matching the original’s movements in near-realtime very soon.

Our new ‘banking avatar’ Synthetic Jewell looks out on Victoria Crater…a piece of Mars above JPL’s Explorer Island two sims to our east.

Please take a look at this truly remarkable video by Robbie Dingo that says so much more about design and construction in Second Life than an infinite number of words can express:

Watch the World(s)

In order to provide a ’safe’ and comfortable place for people to watch the ongoing activity while we’re still in the process of terrain editing, we’ve set up an observation platform above the main lava trench. This also gives us a place to meet, hang out, and even hold modest events until more permanent infrastructure is in place.

Coffee, anyone?

We are delighted that not only have we been able to participate in NASA CoLab, the sim owned by NASA-Ames, but that CoLab has given NSS in SL an office, Main 6, in its headquarters building. Here we are right in the middle of the space community of Second Life.

Presently the office is overflowing with possible terrain models for the new NSS sim.

When the Oregon L5 Society chapter of NSS learned that NASA-Ames was going to be purchasing a sim in Second Life and looking for people with ideas to demonstrate there, we were among the first in line seeking a parcel for modeling our lavatube lunar base concepts. We soon discovered that the resources available there were insufficient to do justice to the plans we had. Fortunately, NSS HQ stepped in with funding for National Space Society island, where we could complete our project as well as manage the sim for use by other NSS chapters and individuals.

A single photo of the base isn’t very easy to decipher, but it hopefully provides a taste of what we’re doing.

Welcome to NSS in SL, the blog of the National Space Society in Second Life. We’re just getting started here, but watch this space for more to come. Check out the About tab for more information.