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Angry Birds Space takes to ISS for trailer

Rovio is serious about taking the gaming franchise into outer space, enlisting NASA astronaut Don Pettit for its latest trailer.

Joe Svetlik Reporter
Joe has been writing about consumer tech for nearly seven years now, but his liking for all things shiny goes back to the Gameboy he received aged eight (and that he still plays on at family gatherings, much to the annoyance of his parents). His pride and joy is an Infocus projector, whose 80-inch picture elevates movie nights to a whole new level.
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Joe Svetlik
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Angry Birds Space launches in a couple of weeks, but if you can't wait until then, you can have a look at the latest trailer below. And it's a doozy.

To show off the new game's physics, Rovio has enlisted NASA astronaut Don Pettit, who took time out from his busy schedule to demonstrate how the lack of gravity will make the birds go in a straight trajectory. So it should make the game a cinch then, right? Well this is Angry Birds we're dealing with, nothing is as simple as it looks.

In footage filmed aboard the International Space Station, 242.5 miles above the surface of the earth, Pettit shows how the lack of gravity affects the trajectory of a catapulted object, using a soft toy of one of the birds. Instead of dropping, it goes in a straight line. So where's the challenge? Well, nearby planets will exert their gravitational pulls, drawing the birds towards them. So if anything, it'll be even trickier than previous instalments.

We're also treated to some in-game footage, and it looks like there are a host of new options and features. The game is touted as "Presented by Samsung Galaxy Note" -- a nod to Samsung's tie-in. Samsung is also demoing the game on its big phone/tablet at SXSW in Austin, Texas, this week. It hopes playing on the big screen will help convince punters it is worth buying a 5-inch device. 

Angry Birds games have been downloaded more than half a billion times since launching in 2009, which is staggering. Previous instalments have included Easter, Halloween and Christmas, and recently a Chinese New Year version. I'm still waiting for the greatest version of all, though.

Will you be aboard when Angry Birds Space blasts off on 22 March? Let me know in the comments below, or on Facebook.