Smithsonian Channel: Apollo AR app

The Smithsonian Channel wants to take people to the moon, and they’re doing it through augmented reality (AR).

Smithsonian Channel’s new moon landing AR app is a way for consumers to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing by sharing personalized content socially. The app is a companion piece to the original series ‘Apollo’s Moon Shot,’ and offers exclusive interactive access to Smithsonian National Air & Space artifacts, as well as a wealth of games, experiences and rare archival video with a ton of customizable social options.

The app lets viewers get up close and personal with exclusive Smithsonian Air & Space Museum Apollo 11 artifacts – including an authentic 3D scans of Neil Armstrong’s space suit and the very same lunar command module Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins used to complete the mission. Details include close-ups of handwritten notes left by the astronauts in the module, as well as little known facts that users magnify in each.

Other features including the ability to shoot off a Saturn V rocket from any location, take a selfie while suited up in the authentic Apollo 11 spacesuit, step through a portal onto the moon to explore the lunar landscape, pilot the Apollo Lander on its treacherous descent to the moon’s surface, fly a rocket from Earth to the moon without running out of fuel and navigate an interactive timeline to learn about the extraordinary history of the Space Age, with quizzes, videos and facts that bring the past to life.