The year 2004 is full of excitement for space science enthusiasts.   NASA has several missions on the way exploring the varied environments of our Solar System.   The mission highlights range from the STARDUST spacecraft capturing samples from a comet in January, and the Mars rovers deciphering signs of ancient seas on the surface of Mars this spring, to the anticipated arrival of the Cassini spacecraft to Saturn in July.

Now, one of the most exciting and daring of NASA's missions to study our Solar System is ready to blast off.   The MESSENGER spacecraft mission to Mercury is launching this summer between August 2 and August 13, 2004.   You can join the celebration of this golden year of Solar System exploration by giving the MESSENGER spacecraft a proper bon voyage using fun and educational activities found in the MESSENGER Launch Celebration Package.

Click on the appropriate category in the left margin to download engaging and educational activities for all ages that you can do to celebrate the launch of the MESSENGER spacecraft and this exciting ear of Solar System exploration.   Please use the Feedback Form to tell us how you used the Celebration Package in your community.

To learn more about the mission, and to download additional educational materials, visit the MESSENGER web site at http://messenger.jhuapl.edu .

Note:
The MESSENGER Launch Celebration Package was created to coincide with the launch of the MESSENGER spacecraft to Mercury on August 3, 2004. Because the package was developed prior to the launch of the spacecraft in the summer of 2004, some of the dates and links in the Package may no longer be up-to-date, even though they were accurate as of July 2004.

The Package itself, however, including the inquiry-based, hands-on lessons contained in it, is timeless, and can be used to celebrate the journey of MESSENGER as it makes its way to Mercury, its spectacular launch, and the daring new chapter of Solar System exploration it opened. For up-to-date information on MESSENGER and its whereabouts, please visit http://messenger.jhuapl.edu. For the most current versions of the lessons taken from the MESSENGER Education Modules Staying Cool and Voyage, visit the MESSENGER Education Modules section of the MESSENGER Education and Public Outreach portion of the Web site.

MESSENGER Education and Public Outreach Team