Virtual Worlds News has the follow up on NASA's planned MMOG, officially announcing the game as Astronaut: Moon, Mars, and Beyond (thanks Massively). Details are still scant, but the article outlines how this will be funded:

NASA assets will be provided with NASA funding, but the agency says the majority of development costs will be covered by private investments and corporate sponsorships. That fits with the goal of NASA’s Innovative Partnerships Program, which is helping the Learning Technologies Project Office to plan the MMO, of enabling development that benefits NASA in the future and deriving value from its existing assets.

The hope is that Astronaut will both serve as a touchstone for students of higher education in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and math) as well as encourage younger users, down through middle school, to get involved.