NASA is headed towards new territory again. This time not in space per se, but it's geared towards becoming a more transparent agency through its upcoming CosmosCode project.

CosmosCode aims to recruit volunteer programmers who can write code for future space missions. As a matter of fact, meetings are regularly in session at the CoLabs Island in Linden Lab's Second Life. The island is named after NASA's CoLabs Entrepreneur Outreach department.

Essentially, what the program does is that it forms a small base community interested in what NASA does and competent enough to write code which can be used in real projects. Participants from all age groups and locales have so far shown a positive response.

NASA contractor  Cowan-Sharp said "CosmosCode is ... allowing NASA scientists to begin a software project in the public domain, leveraging the true value of open-source software by creating an active community of volunteers."

This is a ground-breaking step for the same agency which has been rumored to have developed space weapons in the Cold War, faked lunar landings and many other dark dealings.

"CoLab is building an infrastructure to encourage and facilitate direct participation from the talented and interested public in NASA's projects and programs," says 28-year old CoLabs project manager Robert Schingler.