Project Eagle: A 3D Interactive Mars Base

Project Eagle is an interactive model of a Mars colony in Gale Crater at the base of Mount Sharp, near the original landing site of the Mars Curiosity Rover. The project came to fruition after Blackbird Interactive Inc. was contacted by members of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to create a demo of a possible base on Mars. Eagle isn't a game, but a tool to allow users to explore and learn about a potential future Mars colony. Eagle base is grounded in real possibilities, informed by real science with direct guidance and feedback from NASA and JPL scientists about the technological and material constraints for building human habitation on the red planet. Project Eagle is built in Unity using terrain data from the HiRise camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and is accurate to one meter. The project was initially demonstrated live onstage at the 2017 D.I.C.E. Summit by NASA’s Dr. Jeff Norris, and BBI’s CEO Rob Cunningham and CCO Aaron Kambeitz.