The Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft (discussed in the November 8, 1996 Scout Report) reached Mars orbit on September 11, 1997 in preparation for mapping the planet. This site is highlighted by real time updates, flight status reports, telemetry information, and an annotated QuickTime movie, as well as several images of Mars taken from MGS. After orbit insertion, a period of "aerobraking,"...

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...

On May 22, NASA announced the "single largest one-time release of images for any planet in the history of solar system exploration," adding over 20,000 images to its Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) Image Gallery. This huge collection is offered in three galleries, one for each of the cameras used: narrow angle, wide angle, and global images. Many of the images are of such high resolution that objects on...

Around 3pm EST today, the Mars Polar Lander is expected to cut through Mars's atmosphere, deploy a parachute, and fire twelve thrusters, slowing from over 15,000 mph to just 5 mph, and land on the edge of the planet's southern polar cap . The $165 million, three-foot tall, 600-pound craft is equipped with a robotic arm, microphone, oven, and cameras to search for water or ice just below the frozen...

This excellent site from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) takes readers on a journey to the Red Planet through an assortment of images, videos, and highly informative data. Readers may like to start with the What's New section, where they will find the latest posts from the Curiosity Rover's explorations of the Red Planet's surface. The Mission tab is also worth a visit as it provides a...

Martians of Tomorrow is an engaging series of educational activities for upper elementary school and middle school learners. This interactive website is hosted by the Challenger Center for Space Science Education, a non-profit organization created by the families of Challenger crew members and dedicated to engaging young learners in STEM education. The title of the website refers to the fact that...

The homepage of this site, provided by the Australian Broadcasting Association, says, "In the early 1960s, the US began setting up deep-space tracking stations in Australia. Doug Rickard found himself tracking missions to Mars and the moon. Friendly scientific rivalry and those small but spectacular mistakes in space exploration made for a rich episode in Doug's life. These are stories from his...

NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) is a fully funded, STEM-related program that is sure to get educators' attention. The opportunity begins with a five-week online learning experience that uses the past and present of Mars missions to elucidate math, science, and engineering quandaries. Participating students then go on-site for an all-expenses paid workshop at a NASA center. Even...

This online article, produced by NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research, discusses the research initiative to develop membranes that could solve some of the problems associated with traveling to and from Mars. With the help of a comprehensible explanation and a diagram, visitors can learn how NASA is planning to extract CO2 from the Martian atmosphere to propel rockets and rovers. The...

This 53-minute episode of NOVA can be a useful supplement to educators' lesson plans about Mars - or a fascinating introduction for anyone interested by the Red Planet. First aired on August 1, 2012, the beautifully produced episode explores whether it is possible for humans to survive a trip to Mars and back - a destination that could take up to three years to reach. Along the way, astronauts...