After Google Earth — what?

Why Google Galaxy of course…

Google is extending its reach to the stars in an agreement with Nasa that will allow it to present web visualisations of the US space agency’s data on the universe. Nasa’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley on Monday announced a “Space Act Agreement” with Google that would include collaboration on large-scale data management and massively distributed computing as well as focusing on making the most useful of Nasa’s information available over the internet.

The agreement follows Google’s decision last year to build a 1m square foot campus in a science park linked to the research centre.There are plans for real-time weather visualisation and forecasting, high-resolution 3-D maps of the moon and Mars and real-time tracking of the International Space Station and the space shuttle.

Google Earth, the software programme that maps the planet, will incorporate Nasa data into future releases.“This agreement between Nasa and Google will soon allow every American to experience a virtual flight over the surface of the moon or through the canyons of Mars,” said Michael Griffin, Nasa administrator…

Hmmm….I’ve always wanted to go to Mars.