“WOW”: OLIVER STONE AND LARRY KING REACT TO RT’S “SPACE 360” PROJECT
MOSCOW, JUNE 23, 2017 — NASA astronauts as well as guests and speakers of the STARMUS IV science and arts festival in Norway shared their impressions of RT’s “Space 360” special project, which the channel presented at a panel discussion led by legendary broadcast journalist and host on RT America Larry King.
Commenting on the first-ever panoramic video of Earth as seen from space, filmed in 360 degrees from aboard the International Space Station, the host of Larry King Now and Politicking on RT America, Larry King, responded: “I hope we will be see much more in the future from RT of Space 360.”
Adding his thoughts on the project was well-known American director Oliver Stone. “It’s a video game!” Stone said, while viewing RT’s project through special VR glasses. Popular astrophysicist, author, and recipient of the Stephen Hawking science communication award Neil Degrasse Tyson explained: “I think you know when you feel like you’re there because it affects your balance and your senses and we adjust, so your brain thinks you’re there.”
NASA astronaut and Colonel of the US Air Force Terry Virts shared why he thought the Space 360 project was so important: "People all over the world love space and want to go there. It would be great if more people could visit there, but so far only a few hundred people have been able to do it….The video allows you to share these impressions.”
At a panel discussion titled “Space Journalism 360: New Era,” the host and guide of the project, Russian cosmonaut Andrey Borisenko, and head of RT360 Eduard Chizhikov presented “Space 360,” a collaboration between RT, the Roscosmos state corporation, and Energia Rocket and Space Corporation. The pair also discussed their views on the future of virtual reality.
RT was an a official media partner for the Starmus Festival, while video agency RT Ruptly – the festival’s official global content distributor – carried a livestream of the panel discussions with well-known scientists and Nobel laureates of physics, medicine, and economics.
RT was one of the first news organizations to begin producing videos in the 360-degree format. The special project “Space 360,” which has earned over 22 million views on Facebook and YouTube, is available online as well as at the RT360 app (Google Play, App Store, Oculus Store).
