'Virtual worlds with scientifically accurate simulations could permit learners to tinker with chemical reactions in living cells, practice operating and repairing expensive equipment, and experience microgravity,' it says. The document says that games are becoming increasingly important in education and could be useful for teaching a range of skills. The latest proposal was published by Nasa's Learning Technologies Project Office which supports and develops education projects to promote science and technology. 'When the next people step onto the surface of the Moon in a little over a decade, your avatar could be with them,' he said. 'We are looking at how this island can be a portal for all to fly along on space missions,' he told delegates at the National Space Society's (NSS) conference last year. 'We at Nasa are working hard to create opportunities for what I might call participatory exploration,' the director of the project, Simon Worden, has said. The agency hopes that the environment could one day be used to allow the public to take part in virtual missions. Nasa would like to build a realistic training environmentĬoLab, as it is called, is the brainchild of scientists at the Nasa Ames Research Center in San Francisco. The agency owns an island in Second Life where individuals and groups with an interest in the space programme can meet, share ideas and conduct experiments. Nasa already has a presence in the 3D virtual universe. 'The MMO will foster career exploration opportunities in a much deeper way than reading alone would permit and at a fraction of the time and cost of an internship program.'

'A high quality synthetic gaming environment is a vital element of Nasa's educational cyberstructure,' the RFI reads. Nasa believe the game would help find the next generation of scientists and engineers needed to fulfil its 'vision for space exploration'. The agency has published a 'request for information' (RFI) from organisations interested in developing the platform. The virtual world would be aimed at students and would 'simulate real Nasa engineering and science missions'. The US space agency is exploring the possibility of developing a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game. The game could inspire the next generation of Nasa employees

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