NASA World Wind

NASA World Wind

NASA World Wind is an open source, cross-platform 3D virtual globe software that allows users to visualize the Earth and its terrain. It provides a detailed view of the planet using NASA satellite imagery and aerial photography.
NASA World Wind image
nasa satellite-imagery 3d-globe virtual-globe terrain-visualization

NASA World Wind: Open Source 3D Virtual Globe Softwares

An open source, cross-platform 3D virtual globe software providing detailed views of the Earth with NASA satellite imagery and aerial photography.

What is NASA World Wind?

NASA World Wind is an open source, cross-platform virtual globe software that allows users to visualize the Earth and its terrain in 3D. Developed by NASA, it provides a detailed and interactive view of the planet using NASA satellite imagery and aerial photography.

Key features of NASA World Wind include:

  • Interactive 3D view of the Earth using NASA Blue Marble imagery as well as Landsat satellite data
  • Smooth navigation around the globe, allowing users to zoom in on any location
  • Overlay NASA layer data such as clouds, precipitation, and sea surface temperature
  • Display of 3D buildings and structures in major cities
  • Support for displaying large geographic datasets
  • Ability to import shapefiles and other GIS data formats
  • Scripting and plugin capabilities for advanced customization

NASA World Wind is used for a wide range of educational, scientific, and government applications. Its detailed globe visualization makes it useful for terrain analysis, weather visualization, flight planning, and much more. As an open source project, developers can also extend its capabilities.

NASA World Wind Features

Features

  1. 3D virtual globe
  2. Visualize Earth terrain
  3. NASA satellite imagery
  4. Aerial photography
  5. OpenStreetMap integration
  6. Layer management
  7. Navigation controls
  8. Developer SDK

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Cross-platform availability

High quality NASA data

Active development community

Extensive customization options

Cons

Steep learning curve

Limited native features

Requires advanced graphics card

Not designed for general public use


The Best NASA World Wind Alternatives

Top Science & Education and Astronomy & Space and other similar apps like NASA World Wind


Google Earth icon

Google Earth

Google Earth is a geobrowser that accesses satellite and aerial imagery, ocean bathymetry, and other geographic data over the internet to represent the Earth as a three-dimensional globe. It was originally developed by Keyhole, Inc., a company acquired by Google in 2004.Google Earth allows users to search for addresses and...
Google Earth image
SAS.Planet icon

SAS.Planet

SAS.Planet is a free, open-source desktop application designed for viewing and downloading satellite imagery. It provides access to a wide variety of satellite data sources, allowing users to search, preview, and download high-resolution aerial and satellite photos.Some key features of SAS.Planet include:Intuitive user interface for searching locations and browsing image...
SAS.Planet image
Zoom Earth icon

Zoom Earth

Zoom Earth is an interactive, real-time map of the planet that uses high-resolution satellite imagery and other geographical data to create a detailed and customizable view of locations around the world. Users can zoom in from space all the way to street level, tracking everything from weather systems to city...
Zoom Earth image
TerraExplorer icon

TerraExplorer

TerraExplorer is a powerful 3D GIS software solution developed by Skyline Software Systems. It enables users to import, analyze, and visualize complex 3D geospatial data from a variety of sources including GIS, CAD, BIM, and point clouds.With TerraExplorer, users can create highly accurate and realistic 3D environments by overlaying terrain...
TerraExplorer image
Marble icon

Marble

Marble is a free and open source note taking application designed specifically for Linux desktop environments like KDE Plasma and GNOME. It provides a simple yet effective way to create rich text notes, tackle checklists, set reminders, and organize your notes into notebooks.Some of the key features of Marble include:Rich...
Marble image
Earth View from Google Earth icon

Earth View from Google Earth

Earth View from Google Earth is a free browser extension available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge that changes your new tab page to showcase gorgeous satellite photos of places around the world sourced from Google Earth. When you open a new tab, you'll be greeted with a breathtaking high resolution...
Earth View from Google Earth image
Spectator icon

Spectator

Spectator is a desktop application designed to mirror and control Android devices from a Windows or Mac computer. It provides a convenient way to fully interact with your Android device without touching it.Some key features of Spectator include:Real-time mirroring of your Android screen to your computer via USB or WiFi...
Spectator image
MapSphere icon

MapSphere

MapSphere is an open-source web mapping platform designed for creating custom interactive maps. It provides a user-friendly editor that allows users without GIS expertise to easily visualize various types of data on maps.Key features of MapSphere include:Intuitive drag-and-drop editor for adding vector and raster data layersCustom base maps using WMS,...
Flash Earth icon

Flash Earth

Flash Earth is a free, interactive 3D globe developed using Adobe Flash. It allows users to visually explore the Earth through high-resolution satellite imagery and aerial photography.Some key features of Flash Earth include:Seamless, zoomable maps from space down to street level3D terrain showing topological features like mountains and valleysOcean floor...
Flash Earth image
GMap.NET icon

GMap.NET

GMap.NET is an open source .NET control that allows embedding interactive maps from providers like Google, Bing, OpenStreetMap, WikiMapia, Yandex, ArcGIS and more into .NET applications. It was created in 2008 by Jan Mojžíš and is distributed under the LGPL license.Some key features of GMap.NET include:Support for various map providers...
PTolemy3D icon

PTolemy3D

pTolemy3D is a free, open-source 3D modeling and animation suite. It provides a complete set of tools for creating 3D content, including modeling, texturing, animation, rendering, and more.Some key features of pTolemy3D include:Intuitive user interface and workflow designed specifically for 3D content creationExtensive modeling tools for creating detailed 3D models...
Relief Maps icon

Relief Maps

Relief Maps is a desktop software application designed specifically for visualizing and working with digital elevation models (DEMs). It enables users to import raw elevation datasets such as Lidar scans or SRTM data and transform them into interactive 3D maps and terrain models.Key features of Relief Maps include:Support for all...
Relief Maps image
GeoFlow icon

GeoFlow

GeoFlow is a no-code platform used to create interactive maps and spatial data visualizations. It provides an easy-to-use visual interface that allows users to import, analyze, and visualize location data without writing any code.Some key features of GeoFlow include:Intuitive drag-and-drop interface to build maps and dashboardsVariety of customizable and interactive...
QTViewer icon

QTViewer

QTViewer is a free, open-source image and media viewer, organizer and basic editor for Windows, Mac and Linux. It is designed to be a simple but powerful way to view, browse and manage image, video and audio files.Some key features of QTViewer:Supports a wide range of common image (JPEG, PNG,...
QTViewer image