Another example of NASA using Google Earth instead of World Wind

[Guest_Jim_*]

Heard it from the "This week at NASA" podcast. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't World Wind being developed at the Ames Research Center?
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/podcasting/twan_070914.html
FIRE AID - ARC
NASA flew its remotely piloted Ikhana airplane with a payload of thermal imaging sensors over the Lick wildfire near Gilroy, Calif. The instruments saw through smoke and identified hot spots, flames and temperature differences. The data was sent via satellite to the Ames Research Center where the imagery was combined with Google Earth maps and placed on a website. There, fire incident commanders used the near real-time eye in the sky imagery to more effectively plan and direct how to combat the wildfire.

Michael Brown SOT: "24 hours ago, I was making "Xs" with a number two pencil on a photo copy of a quad map, but I had to hike up the mountain to get the "X" in the right place. Now, I’m going to go to bed and sleep all night because I can see the activity from the burnout, in real time, and have the confidence the plan is going."

[bull]

Jeez, we have all the USGS data, dumb NASA.

[PostFatal_]

Don't shoot me for asking but, how long would it have taken to get that info into WW? wouldn't someone have to write a plugin or something?

[withak]

It sounds like just an image overlay, transparent with red patches where the instrument detects fire. Put it on a WMS instead and they could use whatever app they want to look at it.

[m_k]

"combined with Google Earth maps and placed on a website"
Ehh... journalists ;)

but isn't World Wind being developed at the Ames Research Center?
But Google has signed at least 3 agreements with ARC... :P

[Guest_Jim_*]

Here are some more NASA articles, including some pictures of the imagery in GE. The worst part, I think, is that none of the pictures are zoomed in very far so it is still just the satellite imagery being shown in GE.
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/2007/07_62AR.html

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/Features/2007/wildfire_imaging.html
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/multimedia/images/2007/lick_fire.html (this one has the pictures)

[KoS]

Frankly, write your Senator and/or Congress person. Ask them why NASA isn't using their own in-house software.

Especially if NASA is paying Google anything regard their contracts.


KoS

[Guest_Jim_*]

Frankly, write your Senator and/or Congress person. Ask them why NASA isn't using their own in-house software.

Especially if NASA is paying Google anything regard their contracts.


KoS
We may not need to go to that high. Perhaps just contacting an administrator would do. Personally I'm curious about Patrick Hogan's response to this, or anybody on the World Wind team at NASA.

[bull]

You do need to go that high, unfortunately the NASA WW team has very little pull in such a big agency, and although I'm sure Patrick does what he can he doesn't want to rock the boat.

[Guest_Jim_*]

All right then I'll get to work on something pointing out how even though NASA is a large agency it should still be aware of what it is doing to combine efforts.
As a clarification though, I wasn't saying that Patrick should do anything, I understand that he wouldn't want to rock the boat, I'm just curious about what he thinks of NASA using GE instead of World Wind.

[TomServo]

It isn't that huge of an issue.. GE use for the NASA stuff is only 1-2%.. WW is used more.. it is just that a lot of the uses are internal NASA users.

[KoS]

It's not going too high. :) Congress has oversight authority. If there is something wrong or deemed wrong, let them know. Dealing with agency bureacrats(the high ups), is generally, a waste of time. Unless you have some pull yourself when dealing with a agency.


KoS

[Guest_Jim_*]

Here's the NASA press release talking about it,
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/sep/HQ_07195_Google_Moon.html
I don't mind that Google is getting this stuff, just that World Wind isn't (yet anyway).
I'll try to write the letter before or during the weekend. Which reminds me, Tom, has Patrick read that letter to the STScI yet?

[MouseOnMars]

Was this posted after the announcement about NASA working with Google ? Of course now we have Google Sky that Google worked on with Hubble. I wonder how much Google paid them for the data ? I wonder if any of that money goes into WW development ? Guess it's hard to tell in such a large organisation. Live and let live, that's what I say.

MouseOnMars