NASA
Nasa: Sts 107 (Space Shuttle Columbia)
NASA.gov provides information regarding the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. Content includes crew biographies, press releases, shuttle images, and scientific data and research.
NASA
Nasa: Space Shuttle Orbiter Fleet
Resource describes each of the Space Shuttle Orbiters, their specifications and explains their operation. Descriptions of upgrades and modifications are provided. Included is a brief description of how the shuttle is processed to prepare...
NASA
Nasa: Upcoming Space Shuttle Launches
Updated information on details of the next scheduled shuttle launch, including mission objectives and crew biographies. A link is also included to mission reports of past Space Shuttle flights.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Spacecraft Design: Beat the Heat
To understand the challenges of satellite construction, student teams design and create model spacecraft to protect vital components from the harsh conditions found on Mercury and Venus. They use slices of butter in plastic eggs to...
New York Times
New York Times: The Final Flight: Disaster Strikes a Venerable Spacecraft
Outstanding resource for studying the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. Full illustrated explanations of the descent, the problem with foam, reports of last mission, debris, etc. Photos, audio, maps, and other graphics are available.
NASA
Nasa: Space Shuttle Mission Archives: Sts 95
A summary of the mission in which John Glenn returned to space 36 years after his 3-orbit Mercury program mission in 1962. A description of the mission is provided. Information on the other six members of the crew is included.
NASA
Nasa: Explorer: America's First Spacecraft
Featuring various multimedia resources, NASA provides a comprehensive overview of America's first space satellite, Explorer 1, that launched the United States into space exploration.
NASA
Nasa: Shuttle Reference
This site from NASA goes into great detail about the physical makeup of the Space Shuttle, and includes sidebars with further information about NASA and the manned space program.
Cosmos 4 kids
Cosmos4 Kids: Exploration: Space Shuttle
Learn all about the space shuttle .. construction, launching, landing, and more. The brief, to the point text makes this site most suitable for younger researchers.
National Academy of Engineering
Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century: Spacecraft
Students learn about spacecraft in the 20th century. Some topics investigated are Apollo, after Sputnik, and exploring galaxies. The resource consists of historical information, a timeline, and a personal essay by a key innovator.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Will Future Spacecraft Fit in Our Pockets?
When you picture a rocket, you might imagine a giant ship carrying lots of fuel, people and supplies. But what if the next wave of spacecraft were small enough to fit into our pockets? Dhonam Pemba details the future of microspacecraft,...
Wonderville Media
Wonderville: The Space Shuttle
Before the Space Shuttle was invented, NASA, which stands for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, used rockets to get people to space. The problem with rockets is that they can only be used one time. They wanted a better...
FOX News
Fox News: Fast Facts: Space Shuttle Columbia
A brief history of the Space Shuttle Columbia is provided by Fox News.
FOX News
Fox News: Profiles of Space Shuttle Columbia Crew
Brief bios of all of the members of the doomed Space Shuttle Columbia.
FOX News
Fox News: Space Shuttle Disintegrates; Seven Astronauts Killed
Article from February 2003 detailing the events surrounding the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.
California Institute of Technology
Cool Cosmos: Ask an Astronomer for Kids! Spacecraft
Cool Cosmos makes it easy to learn more about spacecrafts through an easy to use list of kid's frequently asked questions. Just click on the question to enhance your understanding of this modern technological wonder.
Unite for Literacy
Unite for Literacy: Earth and Sky: Would You Step Out Into Space?
Imagines what it is like to travel to space and what you can see through the window of a spacecraft. Book includes audio narration in 14 additional languages with text in English.
Other
Encyclopedia Astronautica: Manned Spacecraft
An index of all major manned missions into space. A great resource and starting point.
NASA
Nasa: Space Shuttle Overview: Discovery
This competent site provides a brief history of Discovery, construction milestones associated with this space shuttle, and information related to upgrades and features.
American Rhetoric
American Rhetoric: Ronald Reagan: Space Shuttle "Challenger" Tragedy Address
This is the text, audio, and video [2:37] of President Ronald Reagan's tribute speech after the Space Shuttle "Challenger" tragedy on January 28, 1986. The crew of the Challenger Seven who died were Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith...
NASA
Sts 114 Shuttle Mission Imagery
It is probably safe to say that this site holds the largest collection of images from the Space Shuttle Discovery's 2005 mission. 625 images in all can be found here as well as a generous description for every image.
Other
Boston Globe: Shuttle Debris Area
Map of the debris left by the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.
Children's Museum
Field Guide to the Universe: Space Craft
Pictures and descriptions of the robot spacecraft that have explored the planets and outer space since the 1960s.
NASA
Nasa Space Science Data Archive: The Mariner Missions
This web page contains detailed information on the Mariner 4 spacecraft. The page explains that the Mariner 4 was the first spacecraft to obtain information at close range on Mars. This page also contains information about other Mariner...