‘Angry Birds Space’ Game Released: Hailed by NASA and Scientists for Space and Physics Education

Since its release several years ago, the popularity of Angry Birds has spread the video game to millions of players using iphones, ipads, tablets and even facebook for game play. The game is based on some very accurate laws of physics in the battle between birds and pigs. Now the developer of Angry Birds, Finland-based Rovio Entertainment, has partnered with NASA to release ‘Angry Birds Space.’

Released last week on Thursday, March 8, Angry Birds Space takes the video game play entertainment to a new level with the opportunity to teach people about physics and space exploration.

According to a press release from NASA, “game developers have incorporated concepts of human space exploration into the new game. From the weightlessness of space to the gravity wells of nearby planets, players use physics as they explore the various levels of the game set both on planets and in microgravity.”

“This collaboration began with a simple Twitter exchange about birds and pigs in space, and it has grown into a tremendous outreach and education opportunity,” said David Weaver, associate administrator for communications at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Games are fun and entertaining, but they also can be inspirational and informative. This ongoing collaboration with Rovio and Angry Birds is an exciting way to get people engaged with NASA’s missions of exploration and discovery, and get students energized about future careers in science and technology.”

To aid in the promotion of Angry Birds Space, International Space Station (ISS) Flight Engineer Don Pettit of NASA created a video using Angry Birds Space to explain how physics works in space, including demonstrating trajectories in microgravity by catapulting an Angry Bird through the space station.

Watch the Angry Birds Space Video from the ISS here:

“We focused on every detail in development of Angry Birds Space to build a special experience for our fans,” said Peter Vesterbacka, chief marketing officer and mighty eagle of Rovio Entertainment. “I believe we have succeeded well with the game, and we wanted to create something as unique around our launch events. NASA has been the perfect partner for our Angry Birds Space program, and we can’t wait to work with them on creating more compelling educational experiences.”