What’s it like to walk on Mars? I’m sure if you listen to this podcast you’ve at least thought about that question.

Thanks to Microsoft’s HoloLens, and the incredible engineers over at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, you can now experience what it’s like to walk on Mars.

Destination: Mars uses an augmented reality headset — and images from the Mars rovers — to put people on the surface on Mars. Not going to lie, I was a bit sceptical at first. But the folks at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex invited me down to try it out, and let me tell you, it was incredible.

It really gives you a sense of scale, just how massive things are, and how incredibly similar the martian surface is to ours. Also, hologram Buzz Aldrin guides you through the experience.

I learned that the exhibit at KSC was based on real technology that scientist use to determine where Curiosity should explore next.

I spoke with Doug Ellison, he’s a visualization producer at NASA’s JPL, about the technology  and how it went from the noggins of scientists to visitors at KSC.