Video Games

NASA Partners With Microsoft to Bring Space Missions to Minecraft

A new partnership between NASA and Microsoft will allow Minecraft players to experience life as an astronaut by launching their own moon rocket and boarding the Orion spacecraft.

NASA aims to return humans to the moon for the first time since the 1970s as part of the Artemis program. To succeed in this ambitious multi-decade mission, humanity will have to develop complex technologies, build a giant lunar rocket, and inspire a whole new generation of astronauts, engineers, and scientists to keep up the good work. should be encouraged to do so.

To this end, NASA worked with Microsoft to create a series of interactive lessons set in the block-centric world of Minecraft. The goal is to inspire children to picture themselves as future astronauts while introducing them to the goals and key technologies that power the Artemis program.

Along the way, students will learn the fundamentals of rocketry and the challenges involved in leading missions and surviving in the hostile environment of space. Newly created Minecraft worlds such as Artemis: Rocket Build and Artemis: Return to the Moon are available for free download on the Minecraft Education platform.

“NASA strives to reach the broadest audience and inspire the Artemis generation to prepare for tomorrow’s missions.” NASA administrator Bill Nelson said in a NASA release:“Through our partnership with Microsoft, this new frontier for Minecraft reflects NASA’s priority to push the boundaries of exploration to the Moon, Mars and beyond!”

Artemis: Rocket Build Players learn about NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which made its maiden flight last November. Students will be asked to adjust for fuel and budget constraints as they create and customize their own rocket capable of launching satellites and crew into space.

Artemis: Return to the MoonMeanwhile, students use block-based or Python coding to control a digital version of NASA’s Orion capsule and become part of Orion’s astronaut crew to “complete mini-missions and solve challenges in space.” I can.

A block-based aerospace crossover isn’t the only time NASA has teamed up with a video game developer. NASA previously partnered with Squad to bring an asteroid redirect mission to the Kerbal Space Program. We have also released many unique educational games and experiences.

In 2022, we partnered with Kojima Productions and watchmaker Anicorn to create a highly unexpected clock, and developers to create assets in Unreal Engine 5 to help astronauts prepare for life on Mars. I worked on

Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video game news for IGN. With his 8+ years of experience covering the latest developments in multiple scientific fields, he has absolutely no time for cheating. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer

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