Mars rover landing to be streamed on Xbox Live

Microsoft and NASA are teaming to bring Xbox Live users as close to Mars as they'll likely ever get. As part of a joint venture, the landing of NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars will be streamed as it happens on Xbox Live this weekend.

Set to touch down around 1:30AM EST on early Monday morning, Curiosity will begin its job in determining if there is or ever has been life of any kind of Mars. According to NASA, Curiosity will spend two-years collecting data while exploring the planet's surface. "Curiosity is a bold step forward in learning about our neighboring planet, but this mission does not stand alone. It is part of a sustained, coordinated program of Mars exploration," said Doug McCuistion, director of the Mars Exploration Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This mission transitions the program's science emphasis from the planet's water history to its potential for past or present life."

Microsoft has already begun hyping the mission by adding a free XBLA title dubbed Mars Rover Landing to the Marketplace in the US. Using Kinect, players attempt to land Curiosity on Mars by guiding the craft on its decent through the atmosphere. You can also enjoy other Mars landing-themed content directly from a special Mars Rover section on the dashboard.

It's a momentous occasion, and one that shows not just how far science has come, but how important Xbox Live has become to streaming events of global importance.

Very cool, will try and watch this. Lets just hope that id software got it wrong and there isnt a gate to hell on Mars......