Ann Marie Trotta/Stephanie Schierholz Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1601/4997 ann.marie.trotta@nasa.gov, stephanie.schierholz@nasa.gov
Frank Blackwell/Lori Mezoff Army Game Studio, Redstone Arsenal, Ala. 256-876-0463/301-879-9030 frank.blackwell@us.army.mil, lorimezoff@yahoo.com
Mitch Gross Virtual Heroes, Research Triangle Park, N.C. 347-688-9703 mgross@virtualheroes.com RELEASE: 10-148
NASA TAKES GAMERS ON A LUNAR ADVENTURE WITH NEW ONLINE VIDEO GAME
WASHINGTON -- NASA has given gamers a taste of lunar adventure with release of Moonbase Alpha, an exciting new, free online video game.
The game has single and multiplayer options that allow participants to step into the role of an exploration team member in a futuristic 3-D lunar settlement. Players must work to restore critical systems and oxygen flow after a meteor strike cripples a solar array and life support equipment. Available resources include an interactive command center, lunar rover, mobile robotic repair units and a fully-stocked equipment shed.
The game is a proof of concept to show how NASA content can be combined with a cutting-edge game engine to inspire, engage and educate students about agency technologies, job opportunities and the future of space exploration. Moonbase Alpha is rated "E" for everyone.
It is the first game in NASA's Learning Technologies project. The project supports the delivery of NASA content through interactive technologies such as virtual worlds, games and software applications to enhance science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, education.
Moonbase Alpha is a precursor to a planned NASA-based massively, multiplayer online game project. The project is being designed to have content and missions that require players to gain and demonstrate STEM knowledge to succeed.
NASA released the game on Valve's Steam network. The agency will use the Steamworks suite of services for server browsing, leaderboards, statistics and more. Steam has more than 25 million accounts and has released more than 1,100 games. It was built on Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3.The Army Game Studio developed the game with support from Virtual Heroes, a division of Applied Research Associates in Research Triangle Park, N.C. This collaboration between NASA and the Army's Aviation Missile Research Development and Engineering Center is an example of government agencies working together to improve education in the STEM fields.
For more information about Moonbase Alpha, visit:
For information about NASA's education programs, visit:
Copyright 1996 - 2026 by David Cottle. Designed by David Bate Jr. All Rights Reserved.
By using this forum, the user agrees not to transfer any data or technical information received under this agreement to any other entity without the express approval of the AUS-CITY Forum Admins and/or authors of individual posts (Forum Admins and DoD/USSPACECOM for the analysis of satellite tracking data).
Two-line elements (TLE) and all other satellite data presented and distributed via this forum and AUS-CITY mailing lists are distributed with permission from DoD/USSTRATCOM.
