Thinking in Space

Routinely Updated Space News

• Space.com News – The premiere space news page
• Space Daily – The other premiere space news page
• Spaceflight Now – Another leading source for online space news
• NASA Press Releases – Short PR briefings directly from NASA
• NASA Science News – Lastest briefings from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and links to other space-related news sites

Space Probes

• Schedule of Space Probe Launches, Encounters, etc – All deep space missions, US and international; also calendar of upcoming chats where experts answer your questions
• Lunar Prospector – Lunar Prospector official site
• Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous – probe that landed on asteroid Eros

Spacecraft, Space Stations, and Bases

• Space Shuttle – Good site, but must dig for detail
• Diagrams of historic spacecraft – Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, etc.
• Advanced Life Support Project (simulating closed life cycles, for eventual Mars mission)
• Project Orion – 1950's design for very large space craft propelled by nuclear explosions
• Declassified: U.S. Military's Secret Cold War Space Project Revealed – Released documents describe the U.S. Air Force's secret cold war project known as the Manned Orbiting Laboratory; website includes links to animated videos and more.
• Apollo Saturn Reference Page – Excellent reference page on Apollo Saturn program; see the links page as well
• Deep Cold – Very well done CG images and animations of never-built cold war spacecraft
• Encyclopedia Astronautica – The premiere spacecraft history web site
• European Space Agency (ESA) Portal – Europe's space program website

Planets and Astronomy

• The Nine 8 Planets – Excellent reference material on our solar system
• Ephemeris Generator – Generate views from any object to any object in the Solar System
• Mars Orbital Laser Altimeter (MOLA) – Includes detailed contour map data of Mars
• Planetary Image Atlas – Photos from space probes; search NASA's image database
• Planetary Sciences page – Reference on planetary science
• Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) PhotoJournal – Photos from missions exploring our solar system, small bodies and the universe, taken by various instruments
• Amateur Astronomy at Home – For Anyone First Getting Interested in Astronomy
• Amateur Astronomy Guide – For anyone first getting interested in Astronomy with many helpful links
• Beginners Guide To Backyard Astronomy – For aspiring astronomers starting out at home, in their own backyard.

Stars

• Stardate: McDonald Observatory site – Good astronomy reference site
• Sloan Digital Sky Survey – Most exhaustive mapping of the heavens
• Starry Night Sky Chart – See the stars by location and date/time

Become an Armchair Astronaut - Training and Simulators

• Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Basics of Space Flight – Learn online from an actual NASA course how spacecraft find their way
• X Plane Flight sim – flight sim for both Earth and Mars environments
• X Plane Online – X-Plane is not designed for online flight, but this "fan site" offers a work-around
• Orbiter: Free Space Flight Simulator – Excellent simulator for entire solar system, but picky about graphics cards
• Be a Martian – Virtual world
• Real Space Models – Detailed resin model kits of many spacecraft
• Be an Astronomer Right from Your Window – At-Home Astronomy Techniques

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