As the seven-member crew of the Space Shuttle Endeavour prepare for their return to Kennedy Space Center tomorrow morning. We are pleased to announce an update to our collaboration with NASA.

Prior to docking at the international space station the Space Shuttle Endeavour did a complete somersault enabling astronauts in the International Space Station to photograph the shuttle's bottom-side. The photos were then sent back to NASA for analysis.  The Space Administration has been kind enough to share those images with Microsoft Live Labs. We have taken the photos and created a “synth” so people around the world can take part in the NASA experience.

So here it is, your chance to take first-hand look at what you might see on a space-walk .

Click here to install the Photosynth viewer and experience for yourself.

The Live Search Images team recently released a fun new feature to make it easier to find specific kinds of images.  Thanks to a collaboration with specialists in imaging from Live Labs and MSR, you can now search specifically for portraits, faces and black and white images.  To use the feature you simply have to add a filter your query, like so: 

• Portrait results return head and shoulders images, or what we often call mug shots.  For example: ‘Adrian Grenier filter:portrait’
• Face results are closer shots with the face the most predominant element of the image.  For example: ‘Aishwarya Rai filter:face’
• Black and white results are pretty self explanatory and works on any search type, not just people.  Example: ‘night skyline filter:bw’
• You can even combine some of the filters:  ‘George Washington Carver filter:face filter:bw’

This is one of many improvements you will find in Live Search and many of our other products as a result of the work happening here in the lab and all around Microsoft. 

More on image search at the Live Search Blog.

Today, we’re announcing an exciting collaboration with NASA using Photosynth technology, to create three-dimensional environments of preparations for the launch of space shuttle Endeavour.  For the first time ever, viewers can experience unprecedented views of shuttle Endeavour on the launch pad, interior and surrounding area of the Vehicle Assembly Building, and the return of previous flight Shuttle Atlantis atop a 747. Photosynth is able to capture the depth and complexity of the shuttle’s structure, providing exclusive images to viewers around the world enabling the unique ability to explore this NASA mission.

Click here to install the Photosynth viewer or visit our video section to see the technology in action.

In addition, Live Labs has collaborated with MSNBC to create a special multimedia tour of the Kennedy Space Center at http://spaceworld.msnbc.com.