Case Summary

By using Wiki technology and satellite imagery, NASA has opened the door for continuous evolution of the World Wind software program. Anyone who downloads the program is immediately able to use the wiki to suggest code modifications, which allows for the inclusion of any new portable, high-performance 3D graphics.

Business Challenge

NASA was seeking a way to continuously expand the data and imagery available in World Wind, a software program that allows users to zoom from satellite altitude to any place on earth.
Programmers were able to make the NASA World Wind compatible not only with Microsoft Windows but with Apple's and Linux's operating systems as well ^¹

NASA World Wind Screen Shot #1: GLOBE-08-11-2004 Maximum temperature

Approach Taken

By using Wiki technology, NASA has opened the door for continuous evolution of the World Wind software program. Anyone who downloads the program is immediately able to use the wiki to suggest code modifications, which allows for the inclusion of any new portable, high-performance 3D graphics.

"NASA has released World Wind as an open source program to improve its quality through peer review, maximize awareness and impact of NASA research, and increase dissemination of World Wind in support of NASA's mission: To inspire the next generation of explorers ... as only NASA can" ^³

"World Wind is a collaborative effort between NASA Intelligent System Division, the USRA Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science ( RIACS ), and the Open Source Community. World Wind started as a NASA Learning Technologies project, with emphasis on education and outreach."^²

NASA World Wind Screen Shot #2: MODIS-11-04-2003 Dust Storm off the coast of Morocco and the Canary Islands

Results Achieved (metrics)

Over 2 million people have downloaded World Wind. The program continues to provide new data and images of the Earth, Moon, Venus, Mars, Jupitar, as well as the stars and galaxies in the greater universe.

Using the system's "Blue Planet" data set, viewers can see the entire Earth down to a resolution of 50 feet and the entire United States to a resolution of about 3 feet. Data for about 30 urban areas lets users see objects one foot wide, good enough resolution to recognize houses and cars.^³

NASA has also created a wiki website to help solve any lingering bugs or issues with the NASA World Wind software. NASA World Wind Issues uses a JIRA software platform which is a bug and issue tracking application. A problem can be reported related to server data, add-ons and web sites. In order to report an issue with World Wind and fully use the site, you must be a member.

NASA World Wind Screen Shot #3: Blue Marble-11-04-2003 The Andes, South America