NASA announced on Monday that it has released its first multi-player online game to test players' knowledge of the space program.

The game, Space Race Blastoff is available on Facebook at http://apps.facebook.com/spacerace and asks questions like “Who was the first American to walk in space? Who launched the first liquid-fueled rocket?”

The game tests the players knowledge of NASA history, technology, science and pop culture.

While players can play alone, they can also compete against other Facebook users.

Players earn virtual badges depicting NASA astronauts, spacecraft and celestial objects if they answer questions correctly.

NASA said that once in the game, a player chooses an avatar and answers 10 multiple-choice questions. Each correct answer earns 100 points, with a 20-point bonus to the player who answers first. The winner advances to the bonus round to answer one additional question for more points.

"Space Race Blastoff opens NASA's history and research to a wide new audience of people accustomed to using social media," said David Weaver, NASA's associate administrator for communications.

"Space experts and novices will learn new things about how exploration continues to impact our world."