National Geographic marked the launch of its new series One Strange Rock with an unusual piece of hardware. It is a replica space helmet that turns into a personal theater. The network developed the Space Projection Helmet with the creative agency McCann New York, while the New York City design firm Tomorrow Lab helped build it.
From the outside, the helmet looks like NASA gear. Inside, a tiny 720p laser projector works with custom fish-eye optics to throw footage onto the curved visor. Audio comes from a speaker built into the harness, which also carries shoulder pads to spread the weight.
The idea was to avoid yet another virtual reality headset. Because the image fills a dome around the wearer, people can turn their heads and look around, much as an astronaut would. The field of view is far wider than in typical VR gear. Reviewers compared the effect to a small dome cinema of the OMNIMAX type.
The helmets made their debut on March 14, 2018, at a viewing event at the Whitby Hotel in New York. That same night they were on hand at the red carpet premiere at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center. Guests watched scenes of volcanic eruptions and thunderstorms from the series. Astronaut Chris Hadfield was among those who tried one on.
One Strange Rock is a 10-part series about what makes Earth special. It is told by astronauts, the only people who have seen the planet from the outside. Will Smith hosts the show, and Darren Aronofsky produces it with Jane Root of Nutopia. The series premiered on National Geographic on March 26.
After the launch, the network planned to take the helmets on the road in the spring. Stops were set for schools and planetariums in select cities, including the Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Ohio, and Liberty Science Center in Jersey City.
