NASA - the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for our non-US readers - might be the last people you think of making an Unreal Engine 3 powered MMO. But guess what?

, calling the game "Astronaut: Moon, Mars & Beyond."

The new game, which will be released next year, is being developed with input from past and current NASA astronauts as well as scientists, engineers, and GS level employees. As a result, all of the spacecraft, robotics, technology and gadgets in the game will be based on current NASA prototypes, offering a realistic journey into space.

"Players will pick a profession like a roboticist, space geologist, astrobiologist or mechanical engineer and work together as a team as they explore space and complete missions, establishing bases and outposts and traveling to the farthest reaches of the solar system," explained Jerry Heneghan, founder and CEO of Virtual Heroes, which has previously worked on the U.S. Department of Defense’s "America's Army" videogame. "The game will offer both individual challenges and team-based objectives to encourage players to use real-life applications of science, math and engineering to unlock new in-game vehicles, spacesuits, robotics and mining apparatus that will propel them further into space."