To find out if and when it may be coming to your region:
http://www.astc.org/exhibitions/mars/imars.htm
Please note that MarsQuest is being completely updated from Summer through Fall 2003, and will be incorporating "To MARS with MER" materials when it debuts in refurbished format in winter 2004.
Take a look at the MarsQuest Exhibit before it was revised.
Destination Mars
This is a smaller traveling exhibit, also providing several hands-on experiences and mission overviews. You can see a few glimpses of "Destination Mars" at the Discovery Center in Fort Collins, CO, and questions from some of its young visitors, in COUNTDOWN TO MARS. For more, see:
http://www.spacescience.org/DESTMARS/1.htm
To find out the current "Destination Mars" itinerary:
http://www.spacescience.org/Schedule/1.html#Dest
MarsQuest Online
If you haven't visited the new MarsQuest Online site I highly encourage you to take a look. Make sure you have plenty of time for your visit because you are definitely going to want to spend some time checking out all of the features.
The first place to visit is the "Drive a Rover" section. The challenge is to examine as many rocks as possible in an eight day mission. Simulating the process the scientists will use you can only send commands once a day. It is possible to reach all of your targets with one day to spare.
After your successful mission on the surface "Fly over Mars" and take a look at Olympus Mons, Valles Marineris, visit an ancient Martian flood plain, the landing site for the first Mars Exploration Mission rover and the "Face on Mars".
"Find the Features" is a great place to find features on Mars that can be compared to features here on Earth. There is a high resolution version and a low resolution feature. The software allows you to switch to look for the features in visible light or use a color coded elevation version.
The Mars Mysteries section allows you to decide where to land a rover to look for life, whether life would be above or below the surface, where you would find water on Mars and more.
"Explore Mars" is the final button on the main page of the website. Explore the Red Planet by taking a general look at the planet followed by a more in depth study of the volcanoes, canyons and rivers of Mars.
You can access the MarsQuest Online website at:
http://www.marsquestonline.org/
