HTC sends virtual reality headsets to the International Space Station to help lonely astronauts.

Whether it’s to tour the International Space Station (ISS) or battle Darth Vader, most VR enthusiasts are looking to leave this planet and reach beyond. However, HTC is sending virtual reality headsets to the ISS to give astronauts something to do besides stare into the star-filled abyss.

The company partnered with XRHealth and engineering firm Nord Space to send HTC VIVE Focus 3 headsets to the International Space Station as part of ongoing efforts to improve the mental health of astronauts during long-duration missions on the station. These headsets are preloaded with unique software specifically designed to meet the mental health needs of real space students, so they’re not just for gaming. Walking mini golf During off hours (although this is not a bad idea.)

The headset features new camera tracking technology specially developed and adapted to work in microgravity, including eye-tracking sensors to better assess the mental health of astronauts. These sensors are accompanied by software that is in the circuit to maintain mental health. The headsets are also optimized to stabilize alignment and thus reduce the likelihood of motion sickness. Can you imagine free-floating vomit in space?

Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen will be the first ISS crew member to use a virtual reality headset for preventive mental health care during his six-month mission as space station commander. HTC notes that astronauts are typically isolated in space for months and years at a time.

This leads to the question of Internet connection. After all, Mogensen and his fellow astronauts will likely want to connect with family and friends while wearing their new VR headsets. Playing Population: one person Not exactly satisfactory by yourself.

The internet was there before Really Slow on the ISS, with speeds similar to a dial-up connection to AOL in 1995. However, recent upgrades have increased Internet speeds to about 600 megabits per second (Mbps) on the station. For comparison, the average download speed in the United States is about 135 Mbps. So marriage is actually the bottleneck in this scenario, not the astronauts. ISS connectivity should be possible even for data-hungry VR applications.

These new Vive Focus 3 headsets are headed to the space station soon, although an arrival date has yet to be announced. It’s worth noting that several engineering feats were required to even make these headsets work in microgravity, as many aspects of VR headsets depend on Earth’s natural gravity.