NASA World Wind is a graphically rich 3D virtual globe for use on desktop computers running Windows 2K or XP - Free & Open Source!

World Wind lets you zoom from satellite altitude into any place on Earth. Leveraging Landsat satellite imagery and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission data, World Wind lets you experience Earth terrain in visually rich 3D, just as if you were really there.

NASA World Wind leverages Microsoft .NET technology for rapid development and to easily access open standards such as XML, WMS, and other graphics standards. Real-time 3D graphics are driven by DirectX allowing a wide base of compatibility with accelerated video hardware.

TerraServer-USA of Microsoft Research hosts USGS aerial photography and topographic maps found in NASA World Wind. (terraserver.microsoft.com)

You are free to build into this NASA World Wind Java 3D visualization technology, whatever you think it needs. And you are free to extend or embed the component architecture to your wildest dreams, for business or pleasure, for research or education, but always for compelling information exchange about this world of ours.

More Info: World Wind

Downloads: @ SourceForge