SpaceVR Kickstarter Would Shoot 360-Degree Virtual Reality Movies From International Space Station

One of the coolest things about VR is that it can take us to some incredible destinations, either real or fictional. But from gaming to video, what place could be cooler than outer space? The mere thought of being able to explore space via VR gives me goosebumps; it'd give us an incredible perspective on what goes on up there, as well as just how small Earth is.

That's an experience we can all have if SpaceVR has its way. The company has just launched a Kickstarter project that will put its 3D 360-degree camera into space to capture as much as possible for us to enjoy later. If successful, its first mission will be affixing itself to the Cupola viewing module underneath the International Space Station - a part that would allow SpaceVR's camera to capture all of the Earth at once.

Part of SpaceVR's goal is to allow us regular folk to experience the "Overview Effect", one that astronauts feel when looking down at our beautiful Earth from up high. On the ground, Earth seems enormous, and the sky seems to have no limit. But in space, you're truly aware of just how small Earth is in the grand scheme of things.

Even if this Kickstarter project succeeds, there will be follow-up efforts in the future, projects that would see SpaceVR head to the moon, an asteroid, and as soon as 2026, to Mars. The project says that its $500,000 goal represents the costs to fire its camera up to the ISS, components, maintenance, and fulfilling pledge rewards (t-shirts, photos, posters, VR headsets, et cetera.)

As the project has just launched, the total number of pledges is modest right now. But with a fleet of experienced advisors and partners on board, chances do seem good that this project's funding could be met well in advance of a month.