Bob Jacobs
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
bob.jacobs@nasa.gov
Linda Rosner
ArtisansPR
310-837-6008
lrosner@artisanspr.com
RELEASE: 11-052
PLAYSTATION(R)HOME USERS CAN WATCH NASA'S SHUTTLE LAUNCH TOGETHER
WASHINGTON -- NASA's final liftoff of space shuttle Discovery will be
available in a unique "social viewing" environment available through
Sony Computer Entertainment America's PlayStation(R)Home for
PlayStation(R)3 computer entertainment system.
Discovery's launch on Thursday, Feb. 24 at 4:50 p.m. EST is the first
live streaming event to be offered by Sunset Yacht, a premium
personal space from LOOT, Sony DADC's interactive entertainment
development team. Users will be able to chat via Bluetooth headsets
with others watching the launch - all from inside the PlayStation
Home social gaming environment.
"We're excited about this new way for people to experience the
exhilaration of human spaceflight as part of a larger community,"
said David Weaver, NASA associate administrator for the Office of
Communications. "In addition to the other two shuttle launches
planned for April and June, NASA looks forward to sharing more of our
endeavors with PlayStation users."
In addition to live streamed events, the Sunset Yacht's NASA TV
channel will offer hundreds of videos offering spectacular views of
the universe from past and current NASA missions. A gallery of
podcasts showcasing several missions including the Mars Science
Laboratory and Voyager spacecraft also will be available from the
agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.
"The launch of the space shuttle Discovery provides a wonderful
opportunity to introduce people to the fun of social viewing," said
LOOT Managing Director David Sterling. "Users can share this
experience with their friends, regardless of where those friends
happen to be in the world."
For information about the shuttle Discovery's mission to the
International Space Station and the crew, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttleNASA Television also will cover shuttle Discovery's launch For NASA TV
streaming video, scheduling and downlink information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntvFor more information about Sunset Yacht, visit:
http://blog.us.playstation.com/"PlayStation", is a registered trademark of Sony Computer
Entertainment Inc.
