Introducing NASA’s Virtual Universe “Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond”

Um like awesome, dude! ;D

I for one cannot wait for this game to be available for purchase. I wanna play

Good idea but it does look fugly…

And the Mars screenshot looks more like a doom or quake level than actual mars…Blue/Grey sky anyone?
Why do they keep telling people the sky is red on mars this is ludicrous!! Some at Nasa are hiding/blurring/airbrushing stuff, everyone knows it and it is getting boring.

I’m definitely interested. Space reality is even more interesting than space fantasy in my book.

Wow using the Unreal3 Engine and they still managed to make it look like crap. Congratulations.

I’m certain say in 10 years,as Moores’ laws of computer power continues-the virual reality game will be awesome, and for people who has extra money to burn, will require you get into a ‘spacesuit’ with built-in climate, sensory controls, and a special-built seat that will mimic perfectly virual movements traveling, walking, running, and can also smell,feel heat or chill, pain caused by hamrless but painful electrical charges during the game, of course, the ‘routine’ things like weapons,controls will be far more advanced than today and all will be controlled by the game inself!!!!!, This type game can be dangerous to anyone already a candidate for an inmate commited to an asylum for the criminally insane because the suit itself will completely block out the real world for the minimum game time of 4-6 hours!! (it must be worth while after putting on that suit and attached helmet!!!).

addendum again, althought the physical effort to run, walk , jump will be about 5% of your true physical effort,, after a few minutes, you would not know the difference. There are already medical instuments that can instantly measure you oxygen to your fingers and other routine readings. Such a game by 2019 will require 50-100TB of HD space with a couple hundred more to run correctly/ This will indeed be the first generation true ‘physical effort’ virual reality ganes and will by then be capable is measuring your physical condition and should you are crazy enough to get a game about robbing the drug dealer of his stash, his thugs will be after you, although I said you only need 5% true physical effort in a walking slow situation, running too much will cause the game to cause you to exsert much more effort to stay ahead of the thugs as the build-in medical devices is constandly measuring your heart beat/oxygen lungs etc.
I think it would be best to see what virual education programs also in the 50-100TB range will be available as what is posted here will seem laughable in a few years.
It is difficult to say what will happen after 2019 as Moores law will reach its limits as the size of the transistors are expected to reach the single digit atom size. Perhaps this issue can be overcome if they can get a breakthrough with optical or quantum computers Much research is being done.

I would love to see an attempt at a realistic space flight simulator, but I’m not sure an MMORPG is the best format for it. If everybody is on the same game clock, how many real months am I going to have to wait to complete my virtual quest to travel to mars? A game that would let a classroom of students collaborate on a virtual Apollo program could be a powerful public relations tool. I know I’ve toyed with quiet a few little web games put out as educational tools by various space agencies, but we pay them for science not amusements. Having an interactive public simulation game as a platform for demonstrating new and future technologies will start to matter more to publicly-funded programs as more of the public is grows up playing videogames. If they don’t get it right now, I am sure they will have to eventually. I can’t wait!

Well, N.A.S.A., You better liston to these people here if you read anything at this web site at all. You people at N.A.S.A. got a monster by the balls here. A powerfull tool, yes, a global intelligence resource to help you tech fellas out. Better not fumble the ball here guys or N.A.S.A. will NOT be going to the superbowl. There does seem to be a slight miss understanding here though. The target audiance. To the posters here. I don’t think this project/game is intended for the general video gamer though. I think N.A.S.A. is trying to target the more higher educated and focused people. (I’m NOT saying anyone here is stupit) As to the one above whom asked for a realisic space flight simulator. There is one on line for free to down load. It even comes with assistance from J.P.L. to help you. (I must make mention: A high level of education is needed to play this simulation program.) If I remember right, it was called Orbiter 2006. You can look it up on line. It’s free to down load and run. One does not need any special computer/equiptment to run it. Standard windows OS’ will run it. There is a little snag with the sound part of the program in placement of the sound files, but other then that it does work great. I downloaded it myself and checked it out. IT IS AS REALISTIC AS ONE CAN GET. I might also want to suggest that if you down load it, you might want to also have a star chart handy whilest playing it. Microsoft has one that is called the virtual telescope to download for free also too. Algabra will help you out tremendously. It involves the launch process, trajectory, and maintaining orbit, as well as any missions to the lunar surface or other planets/lunar orbital bodies, and also the return landing. It uses the old apollos and the shuttles and a couple of experimental craft that was never used by N.A.S.A like the X-39. Flight experience will be helpful. This is much more involved then say, Microsofts’ Flight X for windows. It is made by a privet group of people for free, and it IS a big download. I might add here, not to be discuraged if you crash or can’t figure out how to lift off. I had a little time getting it right myself. haha. Man I crashed so many times I must of costed N.A.S.A. trillions. hahaha

I had a blast though.

I hope this project/game is like that one. If it will be, then all I can say is drop your socks and grab your C****’s cause it’s gonna be a ride for sure. I don’t know anything about video game engines, but I’m not too overly intrested in some one impressing me with out of this world graphics. I’m sure there may be points where the graphic detail may be important though. But the way I see this is, that at lest N.A.S.A. is finaly useing their brains in bringing the scienctic public into community to combine intelligence as a collective, to address an issue that intrests most scientific minded people into a game like enviroment to hopefully achieve advancement of our knowlege of the science’ and to futher the publics understanding of the scientific fields of intrest.

To me this could have potential, this seems to be spmething for adveture without the evil guys. basically exploring to look for ifferent things. Only problem is: What happens when everything has been discovered. I also doubt that the asteroid htting the Earth will spawn every few minutes.