Google marked the 40th anniversary of the first human footstep on the moon by adding virtual lunar exploration to its free online Earth map and imagery service.
The moon joins Earth, Mars, and Sky in an options list in an upper tool bar on the main Web page at earth.Google.Com. Aspiring lunar explorers will need Google Earth 5.0 software, which can be downloaded free.
Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the first person to walk on the moon, joined Google, X Prize Foundation, and NASA officials in Washington, DC, for the launch of Moon in Google Earth.
"Forty years ago, two human beings walked on the moon," said Moon in Google Earth product manager Michael Weiss-Malik.
"It's now possible for anyone to follow in their footsteps. We're giving hundreds of millions of people around the world unprecedented access to an interactive 3D presentation of the Apollo missions."
Monn in Google Earth meshes "Street View" style panoramic photographs and NASA video taken on the surface of the moon to create a virtual moonscape.
Apollo program astronauts Jack Schmitt and Aldrin provided narration for online lunar tours.
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