National Geographic Channel and Mullen partnered to create this second screen experience as a digital companion piece to NatGeo's exclusive TV show, Live From Space. Astronauts aboard the ISS have a unique view of Earth, seeing it without borders but void of humanity. We looked to bridge the gap between life on Earth and in space in order to share our human connections and what's happening on Earth with the astronauts. Syncing to the ISS, the site displays real-time information about its location and the country currently beneath its orbital path. Popular content (from iTunes, Foursquare and YouTube) for that country is displayed along with similarities linking countries and revealing shared trends. Additionally, everyone can wave to the astronauts by submitting photos/videos via Instagram to a gallery dedicated to them.
To date, more than 2,000 photos and videos have been submitted via Instagram and featured in our "Hello from Earth" gallery. We achieved our goal of driving user engagement, with visitors spending an average of 20 minutes exploring and sharing the dynamic content. In addition, Livefromspace.com has been recognized as an educational tool and has already been used in classrooms nationwide. The site continues to receive thousands of hits every day, weeks after the show premiered, speaking to the timelessness and broad appeal of the idea itself.
