Joshua Buck
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
jbuck@nasa.gov
Jessica Culler / Huong Nguyen
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calf.
650.604.4789
jessica.s.culler@nasa.gov / huong.nguyen@nasa.gov
RELEASE: 11-341
NASA RELEASES NEW INTERACTIVE SPACE COMMUNICATIONS GAME
MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- NASA has released an interactive, educational
video game called NetworKing that depicts how the Space Communication
and Navigation (SCaN) network operates. The release of the video game
coincides with the close of World Space Week, Oct. 4-10.
Developed by the Information Technology Office at NASA's Ames Research
Center at Moffett Field, Calif., NetworKing gives players an
insider's perspective into how astronauts, mission controllers and
scientists communicate during space missions.
"For any young person who ever dreamed of one day contributing to
space missions, NetworKing lets players develop a kingdom of multiple
space communication networks working together to support space
missions," said Barbara Adde, policy and strategic communications
director for SCaN at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
To successfully construct fast and efficient communication networks,
players must first establish command stations around the world and
accept clients conducting space missions, such as satellites and
space telescopes. Resources are earned throughout the game as players
continue to acquire more clients. Players can strategically use
accumulated resources to enhance and increase their networks'
capabilities.
Players with the most integrated communications networks will have the
ability to acquire more complex clients, such as the International
Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope and the Kepler mission.
"As a simple and fun introduction to the complex world of space
communications, NetworKing gives players the opportunity to enjoy a
challenging game while absorbing the basic concepts of space
communication," said Daniel Laughlin, games researcher at NASA's
Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "It's an engaging way
to increase interest in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics areas of study and open minds to potential careers in
those fields."
NetworKing is available to the public for play on the NASA 3D
Resources website. Players can access the game using an Internet
browser. It can be downloaded and run on both a PC and Macintosh
operating system. To play the NetworKing game, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/3d_resources/scan.html
In conjunction with NetworKing, the 3D Resources website also links
visitors to the Station Spacewalk Interactive Game and the SCaN
Interactive Demo that demonstrate the interaction between SCaN's
ground-and-space facilities and NASA spacecraft.
Declared by the United Nations General Assembly, World Space Week is
an annual international celebration of science and technology
commemorating the launch Sputnik 1, the first human-made Earth
satellite, and the signing of the Outer Space Treaty. The theme for
World Space Week 2011 is "50 Years of Human Spaceflight."
For more information about SCaN, visit:
https://www.spacecomm.nasa.gov/spacecomm/default.cfm
For more information about NASA's education programs, visit:
For more information about World Space Week, visit:
http://www.worldspaceweek.org/
-end-
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