NASA Launches Lunar Colony Sim Moonbase Alpha

NASA has released Moonbase Alpha, a free simulation title for PC platforms that puts players in the role of an astronaut working to further human expansion on the moon's surface. In NASA's game, an outpost established on the south pole of the moon has been crippled from a recent meteorite impact. Working together as a team, players must repair and replace damaged life support equipment to restore oxygen production. Up to six players can play over LAN or Internet simultaneously, using real-world rovers, robotics, and repair tools to reconnect Moonbase Alpha's life support system as quickly as possible. The game, developed by America's Army creator Virtual Heroes and powered by Unreal Engine 3 technology, precedes the release of NASA's massively multiplayer online role-playing game Astronaut: Moon, Mars and Beyond, which is currently in development. Moonbase Alpha is available as a free download from NASA's website.