Much has been made of NASA's seeming retreat from space in the wake of the retirement of the space shuttle program. But while NASA has, at least for now, stopped sending people into space, it remains heavily invested in exploring our solar system remotely, and now it wants to get the public involved.

In conjunction with its current Mars Rover Curiosity mission, NASA has released a game for the Xbox 360 called Mars Rover Landing.

The game allows users to test their skill by trying to land the 1-ton Curiosity robotic rover on the surface of Mars using Microsoft's Kinect motion interface. Danielle Dallas Roosa, the granddaughter of astronaut Stuart Roosa, demonstrated the game in action (video below) earlier this week.

"Technology is making it possible for the public to participate in exploration as they never have before," Michelle Viotti, manager for the Mars Public Engagement Program at NASA, said in a statement. "Because Mars exploration is fundamentally a shared human endeavor, we want everyone around the globe to have the most immersive experience possible."

To further illustrate the precision needed to accomplish a successful Mars rover landing, NASA has also released a stunning video detailing what it calls "Seven Minutes of Terror." If you haven't been excited about robotic rover missions before, this presentation will likely change that sentiment.

In addition to the game, NASA has also released a 3D interactive experience using the Unity game engine, allowing users to explore Mars based on actual maps of its surface. NASA also has a mobile app called Be A Martian, which offers Mars rover mission news, images and behind-the-scenes video, available for Android and iOSdevices.

"We hope that through partnering on the Mars Rover experience, we spark interest and excitement among the next generation of scientists and technologists," said Walid Abu-Habda, corporate vice president of Developer & Platform Evangelism at Microsoft.

The Mars Rover Landing game is a free download currently available in the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and in Kinect Central.

Earlier this month, NASA released a panoramic image of Mars comprised of more than 800 photos taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) and Curiosity are scheduled to arrive on Mars on Aug. 6, 2012 after a 352-million-mile journey.

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NASA Releases Mars Rover Game for Xbox 360