Hey, space fans: Bummed cause you missed the launch of the Ares I-X rocket today? Take heart — it doesn’t ever have to happen again, not with the NASA iPhone app.
Not a simulation, game or third-party program, this is the official app from the space agency that was devised to keep enthusiasts up to speed with mission launches. Since the free app’s debut last week, the program’s ranked in the App Store’s Top 10 “Most Popular.” It’s not hard to see why. With real-time updates on current missions (and info on future ones), NASA App for iPhone offers an orbit-tracker that follows the movements of the International Space Station and other spacecrafts orbiting the Earth.
Add access to the agency's huge photo library and its integrated Twitter feed, and you’ve got a stargazer’s geeked-out dream.
(For any school admins out there who didn’t see the educational potential in smartphones, I have one simple question: What do you have to say now??)
But don’t wait until the next launch to load this puppy up. You can get the full scoop on today’s voyage of the unmanned Ares I-X — a flight test that’s part of NASA’s grand mission to return to the moon and journey on to Mars — via this app, including all the timelines, pics and vids you can handle.
For more info, hit up NASA’s website or click here to launch iTunes and pick up the app.
