PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Comcast’s Xfinity today announced it is collaborating with MIT Media Lab to bring live footage, real-time photos and educational resources from MIT’s historic lunar mission online at www.tothemoontostay.org and into the homes of viewers across the country through a one-of-a-kind viewing experience available on Xfinity X1.
“Comcast has been a proud member of MIT Media Labs for almost 20 years, and we’re honored to be working with them to help bring the moon mission to viewers across the globe through the new website as well as into the homes of our Xfinity customers through X1,” said Julianne Heinzmann, Senior Software Engineer, Comcast. “The destination we've built for the lunar mission will bring people closer to this impactful moment, providing an interactive and immersive experience we can deliver through our own technology platform, and on the web to viewers around the world.”
The website and the X1 destination will constantly be updated with new content throughout the length of MIT’s mission. Xfinity X1 customers can find the destination by saying “to the moon” into their voice remote. Both experiences will include:
- Live streams of key mission components throughout March, including the March 6 landing.
- If conditions permit, first-of-its-kind photos of an earth eclipse, when the earth blocks the sun, taken from the surface of the moon.
- Photos and videos of the lunar surface transmitted to mission control and then to homes across the globe from a 3D depth camera mounted to the main rover.
- Interviews with key members of the project crew.
- A collection of educational content focused on the science, history and people behind the mission, including interactive learning modules.
“Our return to the moon is not just about advancing technology, it’s about inspiring the next generation of explorers who are alive today and will travel to the moon in their lifetime,” said Ariel Ekblaw, MIT Lunar Mission Principal Investigator. “By working with Xfinity to bring the amazing images and videos we collect at the lunar surface to people across the globe, we’re making it easy for everyone to experience the moon in ways they never have before.”
MIT’s To the Moon to Stay mission brings together the MIT community to reimagine humanity’s return to the moon. In 2027, NASA plans to send astronauts to the moon’s south pole as part of the Artemis III mission, which will be the first time humans touch down on the lunar surface since the Apollo era and the first time any human sets foot on its polar region. In advance of that journey, MIT sent three research payloads up on Intuitive Machines’ recent IM-2 mission on the SpaceX rocket as part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. Together, the payloads will provide data about the area to help prepare Artemis astronauts for navigating this unique terrain. MIT’s To the Moon to Stay mission will demonstrate novel technology, contribute to NASA science and future missions, and through the experience developed alongside Comcast, will help to bring the world to the Moon, this time to stay.
In the coming months, Comcast plans to expand the reach of its “To the Moon” experience by making it available across all its entertainment platforms, including Sky Glass, Sky Stream and Xumo devices.
About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company. From the connectivity and platforms we provide, to the content and experiences we create, our businesses reach hundreds of millions of customers, viewers, and guests worldwide. We deliver world-class broadband, wireless, and video through Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky; produce, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through brands including NBC, Telemundo, Universal, Peacock, and Sky; and bring incredible theme parks and attractions to life through Universal Destinations & Experiences. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.
