New Apps: JFK Library Launches Augmented Reality (AR) Recreation of Apollo 11 Mission in Celebration of 50th Anniversary of Moon Landing

From The JFK Library:

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library today announced the release of JFK Moonshot, an immersive, augmented reality experience that celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing and President Kennedy’s vision that launched the effort.

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JFK Moonshot features the first-ever full-scale augmented reality simulation of the Saturn V Rocket launch and will take users on the five-day journey from the Earth to the Moon.

JFK Moonshot immerses users in the Apollo 11 mission from 1969 with a first-ever full-scale recreation of the 363-ft Saturn V Rocket that can be seen with the app on its landing pad outside of the JFK Library in Boston beginning today.

The full-scale AR rocket will launch at 9:32am ET, from the Library on July 16, 2019, exactly 50 years after Apollo 11 began its journey to the Moon. Users who cannot visit the JFK Library, will be able to relive the launch anywhere in the world on July 16 with a tabletop version of the AR Apollo 11 rocket. The event livestream will begin prior to the launch.

From July 16-20, the app will take users on a five-day journey from the Earth to the Moon, providing people anywhere in the world the opportunity to view 120+ hours of real-time tracking simulation. As the longest-running AR powered live-stream experience available, the mission simulation is made possible by combining 3D digital assets and actual archival footage and audio recordings.

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The “JFK Moonshot” AR experience will offer four distinct “chapters” for users to engage with the story:

• Launch: On July 16, witness the fully-synchronized augmented retelling of the Saturn V rocket launch, either at the Library or with the tabletop version.
• Track: Follow the Apollo 11 mission in real time with archival NASA footage from July 16–20, as it makes its five-day journey to the moon. Record and share the most epic moments of the mission with friends and family.
• Log: Discover JFK’s vision for the space program and Apollo 11 insider facts through education multimedia experiences.
• Play: Test your JFK knowledge with 6 interactive AR games that dive deeper into the mission and put them in the astronauts’ Moon boots.

Once downloaded, app users can take a deeper dive into President Kennedy’s vision for his moon shot and space program with interactive AR games, archival video footage and historical artifacts of John F. Kennedy’s time as President.

On launch day, July 16th, users can attend the official Apollo 11 launch celebration at the JFK Library in Boston, MA to witness the AR rocket launch. Users not in Boston can place the virtual rocket launch at home and then follow the five-day journey from the Earth to the Moon.

Resources

JFK Library Moonshot Website

Download the Moonshot App for Android (via Google Play)

Download the Moonshot App for iOS (via Apple App Store)

Read the Complete Announcement

Media Coverage: JFK Library Launches Moonshot App To Inspire ‘the Next Generation’ (via Boston Globe)

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