A massive addition to the NASA Ames Research Park is detailed on this site. Although the project is not scheduled to be completed until 2015, it has been in the planning stages for several years and 2003 marks the beginning of Phase 1. The 98-page NASA Ames Development Plan is available for public viewing online. The new facilities will be designed to accommodate research in "information...

This site allows the user to search up to seventeen databases for articles in the space and flight field. The databases include the Astrophysics Data System, the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, the Kennedy Space Center, and the Ames Research Center. The search results produce links to available articles, arranged by database. Fifteen fields of information are listed for each article and...

On July 4th at 1:52 AM Eastern Standard Time, a massive probe launched by NASA is scheduled to forcibly collide at the speed of 23,000 mph with the comet Tempel 1. This very intriguing project is part of the Deep Impact project, and it is hoped that the images transmitted by the probe will afford new insights into conditions in the early solar system. So far, the closest that scientists have come...

Many people may be aware of NASA's fine educational resources online, but some may not be aware that they also maintain a fine website specifically designed for policymakers and others working in related fields. Upon entering the site, visitors will notice a series of well-designed icons on the right-hand side of the page. These icons, which include "Moon and Mars" and "Technology", can be...

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,...

The videos on this website from NASA demonstrate how things developed and used at NASA work, including such things as solid rocket boosters, space shuttle main engines, and parachutes. The website is intended to "showcase the creativity and dedication that allow the challenges of space flight to become some of our greatest achievements." The videos footage and silted graphics are accompanied by...

Through the use of Macromedia Flash Player, this NASA website revisits the key NASA space exploration events and missions of 2004. Users can view videos illustrating the Vision for Space Exploration and articles describing the advances to help make the vision a reality. The website discusses the redesigning of the Shuttle External Fuel Tank and its significance in flight missions. Visitors can...

On March 28, NASA released the final report of the Mars Program Independent Assessment Team (MPIAT), formed to investigate the recent failure of the Mars Polar Lander. Headed by Thomas Young, the team concluded that they were "almost certain" that the accident was the result of a premature engine shutdown, probably caused by a spurious signal from one of the spacecraft's three landing legs,...

From NASA's Office of Space Science, this metapage lists a wide variety of missions that are either under study, in development, currently in operation, or completed (those that ended after 1989). Users may access names of missions, brief descriptions, and links to missions by clicking on the category heading. Also available here are a few links to multi-mission programs, ground-based astronomy,...

This Review Panel Report represents the work of a review team contracted by NASA to analyze its programs and practices. The 135-page "Space Shuttle Independent Assessment Team (SIAT) Report" reviews the Space Shuttle's "sub-systems and maintenance practices." The report identifies systemic problems and organizes them into nine main issues, discusses technical issues, and offers recommendations....