Today, Games2Win will launch “Apollo 11: Mission to the Moon” – a free online game that recreates the first manned mission to land on the moon and the four critical stages that made Apollo 11 a successful mission.

The game is a wonderful way to celebrate this historic moment in a modern, connected way.

In addition to the game, the company is also launching a Facebook application, available at http://apps.facebook.com/apollomission/, that lets players challenge their friends in quests to the moon, recreating the space race between the USA and Russia.

The experience can be taken off-line as well, with a paper model rocket design of Apollo 11 that can be downloaded, printed, cut and built into a real-life memento.

An interactive press release with images, video and links to the game page, rocket model and Facebook application can be found here: http://www.games2win.com/pr/2008-09/apollo_11/apollo_11.html

I’m always fascinated by some of discoveries during space missions that over the years have impacted everyday life.

By Betsy Taylor
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Saturday, July 11, 2009

ST. LOUIS – When U.S. astronauts stepped onto the moon on July 20, 1969, their voyage was about exploration, discovery and pushing the boundaries of known technology.

In the 40 years since, NASA-related technology has come down to Earth. Hundreds of everyday products were developed or modified using aerospace research, from baby formula to swimsuits.

“The first things people think of are Tang, Teflon and Velcro. None of them originated with the space program,” said Roger Launius, senior curator in space history at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

According to Spinoff, a NASA publication about the practical benefits of aerospace research, astronaut John Glenn drank Tang while in orbit in 1962, upping the orange-flavored beverage’s visibility and linking it to the space program, though General Foods Corp. had developed the drink in 1957. Teflon, used for some heat shields and spacesuits, and Velcro, used to keep equipment from floating around, have a role in the space program but originated well before NASA.

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