Apollo to the Moon is a display at the National Air & Space Museum of the Smithsonian, dedicated to telling the history of human exploration of the moon by the United States. The Web site places the history of space travel within the context of the political environment, including the Cold War. The Space Race with Russia and the beginning of NASA are also discussed in detail, along with the...

China will soon make history by sending the first Chinese man to space. Scheduled for sometime in 2003, it will be the first step toward China's highly ambitious plans for space exploration. The China National Space Administration Web site (1) has a detailed description of the country's space policy. Aerospace China, a journal published online by the administration, has information on space...

The CosmicQuest interactive learning Web site was developed and produced by Educational Web Adventures as part of the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Three main activities are included on the site, the first of which is a Field Guide to the Universe. Here, students can explore fun facts and view interesting photographs of planets, spacecraft, and astronomers. Another activity lets kids design a...

The European Space Agency (ESA) furnishes thorough articles and images regarding its launch vehicles, Europe's Spaceport, and technology. Users can find out ESA's launch schedule, plans for next generation launchers, and the past successes of the launch program. The website offers a video of a launch countdown, images of the Ariane 5, and many more media materials. Through the interactive modules,...

The Aurora Programme intends to contribute to the European Space Agency's goals by exploring the solar system, Mars, the Moon, and asteroids with robotics and humans, as well as search for life beyond Earth. The website provides the executive summary, Aurora Programme brochure, and other directorial materials to introduce users to the organization. Visitors can learn why Mars exploration is...

Galileo, the NASA mission, was recently crashed into Jupiter after years of observing the planet and its moons. The mission was named after Galileo Galilei, a scientist who in the early 1600s discovered Jupiter's four largest moons. This Topic in Depth first discusses the life of Galileo the man and then describes Galileo the mission. The first site (1), developed by the University of St....

This site from NASA offers the latest news on the space shuttle program. It features a variety of articles on the program. Links to other sites on the shuttle program provide provide resources such as posters, educational materials and interactive resources. Users can use the site to learn more about the most recent space shuttle missions or any of the past missions.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Jet Propulsion Laboratory currently provides over 40 movies and animations that depict the Mars Global Surveyor (discussed in the November 8, 1996 Scout Report) during the aerobraking phase of its flight. The MGS was launched in November 1996 to study the surface, atmosphere, and magnetic properties of Mars. Animations are available in QuickTime...

Following the hugely successful Mars Pathfinder mission (described in the July 4, 1997 Scout Report), this latest journey to Mars is actually two separate missions, each focusing on the climate of the Red Planet. The first mission, the Mars Climate Orbiter, was launched on December 11. The second, launched on January 3, represents the first landing on the polar regions of Mars. The Mars Polar...

NASA has a significant educational outreach mission, and this site dedicated to higher education is a wonderful find. The first notable feature on the site is the Read About It area, which contains profiles such as "Beginner's Guide to Aeronautics," "Commercial Space Transportation," and a complete archive of past items. Moving on, the Current Opportunities area contains archived lectures,...