USA TODAY NETWORK Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11 Moon Landing With Augmented Reality
June 20 2019 - 8:30AM
Business Wire
USA TODAY and FLORIDA TODAY partner to bring
audiences two new interactives, incorporating live stream video of
historic broadcasts; Will include pop-up event with The Smithsonian
Institution on July 20th during live broadcast
USA TODAY NETWORK celebrates the 50th anniversary of the
historic U.S. moon landing with a two-part augmented reality (AR)
experience in the USA TODAY mobile app and the NETWORK’s first
dedicated AR app, 321 Launch.
USA TODAY and FLORIDA TODAY collaborated to bring consumers an
eight-day live AR broadcast focusing on six historical events from
our nation’s inaugural moon landing. From liftoff to landing, users
will get to view the mission in real-time just as it happened 50
years ago. USA TODAY’s emerging technology team created the virtual
assets and media is sourced from NASA for the app update featuring
the Apollo 11 mission. It will be available to download on July 4,
and the live broadcasts begin on July 16 with new content launching
through July 24.
Separately, on July 9, an AR interactive will be featured in the
USA TODAY mobile app telling the story of the hardware and
technology that was used by NASA for the Apollo 11 mission.
Narrated by FLORIDA TODAY, users will learn about every stage of
the Saturn V launch sequence, details of the command and lunar
modules, and see how it all came together to take three astronauts
to the moon.
“321 Launch was first shared with consumers over a year ago
bringing AR to audiences across USA TODAY NETWORK and we’re excited
to expand the app to celebrate this historical event,” said Ray
Soto, director of emerging technology, Gannett | USA TODAY NETWORK.
“Through our ability to collaborate, we’re able to incorporate
FLORIDA TODAY’s space expertise into augmented reality to make this
a cutting-edge experience for users.”
Since its release in March 2018, 321 Launch has brought users a
best-in-class AR rocket launch experience, live insights from
FLORIDA TODAY’s space experts, and an animated hologram allowing
users to follow rocket launches in real-time. Through the app,
users have had the ability to watch more than 20 rocket launches
using telemetry data, which generates a predictive flight path so
users can follow speed, acceleration, and altitude live in AR.
In 1966, FLORIDA TODAY was founded to cover the emerging space
program and was the first newspaper delivered to the moon on Apollo
14 in 1971. FLORIDA TODAY will commemorate the Apollo 11
anniversary with unique stories, videos, photo galleries, and a
podcast focused on the people who made the moon landing possible.
The content will also look at the current state of space
exploration and space culture at floridatoday.com/moonlanding.
Additionally, FLORIDA TODAY will release “The People of Apollo,” a
documentary that tells the story of the Apollo program through the
eyes of employees. It will premiere at the Kennedy Space Center
Visitor Complex on July 2.
“We have a highly engaged audience who comes to us for our space
expertise and we are thrilled to provide them with original and
innovative space content alongside our colleagues at USA TODAY
NETWORK,” said Mara Bellaby, executive editor of FLORIDA TODAY.
“Given our deep roots on the Space Coast, we are uniquely
positioned to bring this historic mission back to life for our
audience.”
The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum is helping lead
the national celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo
missions, sparking conversations about the past, present and future
of innovation and exploration. The Smithsonian’s celebration on
July 16-20 includes Neil Armstrong’s iconic Apollo 11 spacesuit,
back on display at the museum for the first time in 13 years
starting July 16; Discover the Moon Day! on July 19; and a
three-day celebration on the National Mall that will culminate with
activities commemorating the exact moment the first steps were
taken on the Moon on July 20. Learn more at Apollo50.si.edu.
The AR interactives will be available in 321 Launch beginning
July 4 and in the USA TODAY app beginning July 9. For FLORIDA
TODAY’s special commentative content starting early July, visit
floridatoday.com/moonlanding. Additionally, USA TODAY will
demonstrate the live broadcast experience at the Smithsonian’s
Castle on July 20 in Washington, D.C. from 12 – 5 PM ET. For more
information, visit
https://airandspace.si.edu/events/usa-today-apollo-11-ar.
About USA TODAY NETWORK
USA TODAY NETWORK, part of Gannett Co, Inc. (NYSE: GCI), is the
largest local-to-national media organization in the country,
powered by our award-winning newsrooms and marketing solutions
business. With deep roots in local communities spanning the U.S.
with more than 100 brands, plus USA TODAY, we engage about 126
million people every month through a diverse portfolio of
multi-platform content offerings and experiences. For more
information, visit www.gannett.com.
About the Smithsonian
Since its founding in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution has been
committed to inspiring generations through knowledge and discovery.
It is the world’s largest museum, education and research complex,
consisting of 19 museums, the National Zoological Park and nine
research facilities. There are 6,300 Smithsonian employees and
7,300 volunteers. There were nearly 29 million visits to the
Smithsonian in 2018. The total number of objects, works of art and
specimens at the Smithsonian is estimated at nearly 155 million, of
which nearly 146 million are scientific specimens at the National
Museum of Natural History. www.si.edu
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