Google reaches deal with NASA

Google is extending its reach to the stars in an agreement with Nasa that will allow it to present web visualisations of the US space agency's data on the universe.

Nasa's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley on Monday announced a "Space Act Agreement" with Google that would include collaboration on large-scale data management and massively distributed computing as well as focusing on making the most useful of Nasa's information available over the internet.

The agreement follows Google's decision last year to build a 1m square foot campus in a science park linked to the research centre.

There are plans for real-time weather visualisation and forecasting, high-resolution 3-D maps of the moon and Mars and real-time tracking of the International Space Station and the space shuttle.

Google Earth, the software program that maps the planet, will incorporate Nasa data into future releases.

"This agreement between Nasa and Google will soon allow every American to experience a virtual flight over the surface of the moon or through the canyons of Mars," said Michael Griffin, Nasa administrator.

Chris Kemp, business development director at Ames, said Nasa had more information on the planet and universe than any other entity in history, but much of it was scattered and difficult to access.

"We are bringing together some of the best research scientists and engineers to form teams to make more of Nasa's vast information accessible," he said.

Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Google's founders, are fascinated with space.

Mr Page is on the board of the X Prize Foundation, which uses competitions to foster breakthroughs in space.

Their Google Maps service includes charts of the moon and they have hired Vint Cerf, who has worked with Nasa on the concept of an interplanetary internet, as their Chief Internet Evangelist.