About Orbis
Orbis is a cartographic design company located north of Seattle on beautiful Orcas Island in Washington State's Puget Sound.
Modern pioneers in the field of photorealistic Earth imaging, Orbis developed the first generation of world globes to display our planet as it appears from outer space, complete with its atmospheric cloudforms. Orbis also introduced the first world repicas to display Earth's city lights through the use of photoluminescence.
The Orbis/NASA Blue Marble imagery represents the most visually authentic global view of Planet Earth ever created, combining NASA's newest generation of satellite imaging with Orbis' cutting-edge globemaking technology. The resulting creation represents a new level of global cartography - highly photorealistic world globes, enabling millions of would-be space travellers to experience the astronauts' perspective of observing our home planet from outer space.
1985 Founder Eric J. Morris is inspired by the early photographs of the whole Earth taken by the NASA astronauts during the Apollo Moon voyages. These images of Earth motivate him to create a truly spherical & photorealistic representation of our planet as it appears from deep space.
1986 Morris' first company, Pacific Drum, brings to market its original 16-inch diameter inflatable "reality" globe: ‘The WholeEarth Ball.’ These globes are the first replicas of Earth ever created to depict the astronauts’ view of our planet from space.
1987-91 WholeEarth Balls become EarthBalls; Pacific Drum morphs into EarthSource and clones hundreds of thousands of little worlds which travel everywhere - into homes, classrooms, offices, churches, theaters - around the world and beyond...
1992 ... Into Space! One very special EarthBall is launched into orbit aboard the NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis in March of 1992. During their nine day, 3.7 million mile journey, the seven astronauts of mission STS-45 deployed the EarthBall in filming the NASA educational video "The Atmosphere Below". See EarthBalls in Space
1996-1999 Development of Orbis digital cartography. Product design - LifeSphere, AeroChair, etc.
2000 The first digitally printed giant Earth globe premieres at The World Petroleum Congress in Calgary, Alberta.
2001 The EarthBlimp, Orbis' helium-filled, rotating, lighter-than-air Earthship flies overhead in San Francisco's Marriott Hotel for The Discovery Health Channel. See EarthBlimps
2002 Through a collaboration with NASA, Orbis transforms MODIS satellite data into the most authentic photographic representation of Planet Earth. This evolutionary acomplishment makes its spherical debut at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah in the form of two 16 foot diameter rotating world globes.
2003 Orbis installs rotating globes in several museums & libraries; creates a 20 foot diameter globe for a concert in Atlanta's Georgia Dome; is recognized with the "best of show" award at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, etc..
2004 The 16" EarthBall is re-introduced as an updated version of the world's original "reality globe". Now featuring the same digital satellite imagery as the giant globes, EarthBalls are orbiting everywhere. On August 29th, a huge Orbis globe symbolizing a peaceful planet appears with 500,000 people in the streets of New York City and is seen by millions worldwide.
Orbis gratefully acknowledges
the generous assistance of NASA
in providing the data & technical support
that made this project possible
Winter Olympic Games, 2002Wells Fargo Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Georgia Dome & Exhibition CenterELCA Youth Gathering, Atlanta, July 2003
Winter Olympic Games, 2002Gallivan Square, Salt Lake City, UT