NASA and Microsoft Team on New “Mars Rover Landing” Video Game for XBOX 360

As NASA prepares for one of the most difficult precision landing ever attempted on another planet, when the Curiosity rover lands on Mars on Auust 6th, the space agency has teamed with Microsoft with an XBOX 360 game to engage the public in the Mars landing. In an earlier article, we talked about why this Mars landing will be do difficult.

According to NASA, in cooperation with Microsoft, a new outreach game was unveiled this week which will give the public a sense of the challenge and adventure of landing in a precise location on the surface.

The game, designed for play on the XBOX 360 is called “Mars Rover Landing.” It has been described as an immersive experience which will allow users to take control of their own spacecraft and face the extreme challenges of landing a rover on Mars.

“Technology is making it possible for the public to participate in exploration as it never has before,” said Michelle Viotti, JPL’s Mars public engagement manager. “Because Mars exploration is fundamentally a shared human endeavor, we want everyone around the globe to have the most immersive experience possible.”

NASA has several other forthcoming experiences geared for inspiration and learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Information about many ways to watch and participate in the Curiosity’s landing and the mission on the surface of Mars is available at: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/participate