In 2007, a small group of people began an intentional, collaborative experiment in open, transparent, and direct communication about your space program. Our goal was to enable your direct participation in exploring and contributing to NASA’s mission.

Many of us have since begun new adventures. This site will remain as an archive of the accomplishments of the openNASA experiment.

Reach for the Stars

By Ali Llewellyn, 28 August 2012
 Ali Llewellyn

Mars Data

Have you seen this? Chris Herwig set out to map Mars with open data and open source tools. The results are pretty spectacular, along with the story of how he did it. Here’s where you can explore more of Mars yourself with open planetary data. This is what openness is all about: what the data can make possible, how it can engage you, pull you in. What could you build with the live data and images from Mars? How could it stir people’s imagination about exploration?

More Mars data can be found here - and we’d love to see what you create.

Mars Music

NASA is holding a celebration this afternoon at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, CA, to share findings about Mars with students and premiere a new song by musician will.i.am that will be broadcast from the surface of the Red Planet via the Curiosity rover. Members of the team that successfully landed the rover on Mars earlier this month will explain to students the mission and the technology behind the song’s interplanetary transmission. will.i.am will then premiere “Reach for the Stars,” a new composition about the singer’s passion for science, technology and space exploration.

Go here to watch the event live (1 p.m. PDT /4 p.m. EDT) - don’t miss this first interplanetary musical release!