Disney-Pixar and NASA Join Forces to Explore Space with WALL-E (Video)
Written by Ian O'Neill
Disney-Pixar and NASA have embarked on a project to promote science and technology amongst school children. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures is gearing up for the premier of their new animated space adventure WALL-E on June 27th, and NASA has signed a Space Act Agreement to use this event as an opportunity to promote educational-based projects to build kids interest in space exploration. The collaboration sounds like an excellent chance to communicate NASA's endeavours in space, plus the movie and possible NASA spin-offs look very cool (besides, WALL-E looks like a very cute Mars rover)…
It sounds like a film I'll definitely be watching at the theatre. With some great timing, this Disney creation features an animated robotic rover not too dissimilar to NASA's Mars Expedition Rovers Spirit and Opportunity (minus the binocular, expressive eyes) currently trundling around on the Red Planets surface. Plus we saw the robotic lander Phoenix touch down only a couple of weeks ago. If there's a time to release a film about the last rover-robot on Earth exploring space, this would be the time to do it! Apparently there are quite a few similarities between the movie's plotline and NASA's actual work with robotics, propulsion and astrophysics. Seems like a great time for NASA to communicate with the young minds that will shape the next generation of space explorers.
"Great ideas for future exploration of the universe start with the imagination. We hope that with the help of our new robot friend WALL-E, NASA can encourage young people to learn about science and technology and become the explorers of tomorrow." – Robert Hopkins, chief of strategic communications at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
The team at Disney-Pixar have already produced a 30-second promotional video announcing the Disney-NASA partnership which also promotes NASA's TV channels and NASA's website. It is hoped this campaign will draw a younger audience to NASA's Kids' Club pages. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is using this time to showcase their current Phoenix mission and the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory mission. WALL-E will be showing from June 27 to August 27 in the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood and NASA will be hosting a special display of imagery from the Hubble Space Telescope at the location, so the audience will have a real entertaining visit.
"All of us at Disney are delighted to be working with NASA in their educational and public outreach efforts to teach schoolchildren about space exploration, robot technology, and the universe they live in. WALL-E is one of the most lovable and entertaining characters that Pixar ever has created, and he is the perfect spokes-robot for this program. Disney-Pixar's WALL-E takes moviegoers on a thrilling and imaginative journey into outer space, and now the film's title character will be able to stimulate imaginations further through these efforts." – Mark Zoradi, President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group
See the 30 second WALL-E/NASA trailer »
Source: SpaceRef.com
Filed under: NASA
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June 19th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Sounds great! I think it would be absolutely wonderful if NASA (with Disney's help) could get into every school to make their presentation.. Most kids are dreamers… They (at the moment) don't care about the political beliefs of their teacher. That comes later. It's my belief when they see what we are capable of (because they may have never been made aware of it), the next generation could be robust with NASA's and Disney's help.. And that is what we need.
Go NASA! Go Disney!
June 20th, 2008 at 2:14 am
Right on Al. The thing is, how many times have we seen kids cartoon characters being used to sell junk food? This is a very refreshing move by NASA, I quite like the direction they've taken
Cheers,
Ian
June 20th, 2008 at 2:26 am
This is wonderful. When I was around 7 years old, my first-grade class had a field trip to Griffith Park Observatory in the Los Angeles Basin (I was attending Frances Willard Elementary School in Pasadena). That's where I fell in love with the sky, and I've never fallen out of love with it since. And that planetarium show was primitive compared to what can be done now, especially with Disney-Pixar animatronix. Al's right — this is a magnificent educational tool, one that just might inspire children to become astronauts and astronomers of the future.
June 20th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
=LOLOLOL= Great idea!
June 21st, 2008 at 9:27 am
I say go NASA. Maybe this movie could be made available to schools K-12 as part of the science curriculum. Those early Disney flicks I saw in school about space travel (especially to Mars) caught my imagination of the possibilities of space travel. In the 21st century, maybe this is a good way to interest students in careers in science, technology & engineering.
June 22nd, 2008 at 3:57 am
I say go NASA. Maybe movie science technology.
July 5th, 2008 at 5:57 am
Oh Come On .. no-one threw this out there ? ..
They've been making movies since that great 'landing' one they did in the late 60's ..