Space Agency Virtual Tour
Space agency virtual tour at ESTEC, the European Space Agency’s test centre. Explore spacecraft testing facilities, and see where European space exploration is conceived with these interactive 360° images.
Background
The European Space Agency’s European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) at Noordwijk in The Netherlands is the test centre for all space activity in Europe. Just like NASA in the USA. ESTEC engineers are hands-on with mission design, spacecraft and space technology. They handle the technical preparation and management of the space projects. Plus, they provide technical support for the European Space Agency’s satellite, space exploration and human space activities.
The Brief
The European Space Agency required a space agency virtual tour at ESTEC. This would be an interactive experience for visitors to their website, allowing them to closely explore the main testing areas at ESTEC. We were honoured to be selected to provide the virtual tours and interactive interface to allow viewers worldwide to explore the centre.
The Execution: Space Agency Virtual Tour
We shot numerous 360s around ESTEC to capture the areas of interest. It was vital to shoot areas that the public would never be allowed, so that they could explore these areas in detail remotely. The final interactive visit allows visitors to look 360° around the centre, and find out more about certain elements by clicking on hotspots which provide detailed information about the equipment. They are able to see where they are at all times by using the 3D navigation map. The map also allows users to hover over a location which interests them, and this location is then highlighted on the map and vice versa.
The Results
The tours were very well received and online visitors worldwide are able to explore the Space Agency. Many of the areas we shot would never be open to the public, or are inaccessible for disabled visitors, so allowing people to visit these areas virtually really opens up the Space Agency to everyone.
In 2019 we updated the tour to include a more responsive HTML5 design, with mobile users in mind.
Click the Launch Project button to explore the European Space Agency virtual tour and see for yourself what happens inside the ESA test centre.