2023's 'Starfield' was a fascinating (albeit flawed) game that nailed the feeling of discovery among the stars and the pursuit of science in a fictional future. Now, shortly after the release of its Shattered Space expansion, Xbox and Bethesda are teaming up with Lonestar to celebrate the launch of the long-awaited Freedom mission, and one lucky fan could witness the event at the Kennedy Space Center.
The official Bethesda website unveiled the opportunity on Feb. 7, stating that one 'Starfield' fan (plus one companion) will get a chance to watch the launch up close and alongside astronauts. This event, which will be coordinated with Elon Musk's SpaceX, is currently set for late February, with a multi-day launch window "that opens no earlier than Feb. 26".
Eager fans of the open-world RPG and space exploration enthusiasts can now enter the sweepstakes here. Be quick though, as the competition closes on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at 12pm ET. You can find the full terms and conditions on the Bethesda website.
Right now, the launch is set for Feb. 26, but the "possibility of last-minute delays" is underlined, so make sure you can travel to Florida between Feb. 25 and Mar. 1. The matter of security clearance at Cape Canaveral also means that this opportunity is only open to United States citizens. "A couple extra days in Florida" are included in the trip too.
The IM-2 lunar mission aims to make Lonestar Data Holdings "the first company in the world to provide a commercial data center service from the surface of the Moon." Late January marked the arrival of Athena at Cape Canaveral in preparation for launch with SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. IM-2 is part of "a NASA effort to send scientific instruments and technology demonstrations to the Moon" in collaboration with the agency's Artemis program.
The mission also includes a "pioneering hopper nicknamed Gracie" that will help find water ice on a plateau 100 miles from the south pole of our moon. Intuitive Machines and NASA are behind the effort. If everything goes according to plan, communication with the hopper will be maintained with Nokia's Lunar Surface Communication System, which will carry and try to set up an LTE/4G network system on the Moon's surface.
Not everyone can win this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but we can all enjoy 'Starfield', the "NASA Punk" sci-fi epic from the creators of 'Fallout' and 'The Elder Scrolls', which is available now on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC.
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