Scenario: The year is 2031. You are a visitor to Mars and the Mars Exploration Station, a Martian community for 100 settlers. Through this site, you can explore the historical study of Mars, discover scientific information relating to Mars and its resources, and participate in ongoing discussions about Mars and future settlement of the Red Planet The notion of humans venturing forth from Earth and settling on another planet has been a source of fascination for decades, even centuries, but until the advent of space exploration, the idea was more science fiction than scientific possibility. The most likely location for the first community beyond planet Earth is our exciting neighbor, Mars. To investigate the concept of planning a viable settlement on the Red Planet, the Adler Planetarium Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museumamp; Astronomy Museum has created this website. This website is an outgrowth of the Adler's participation in the national Mars Millennium Project (MMP), an official White House Millennium Council Youth Initiative challenging students, teachers, organizations, and institutions across the nation to design a community yet to be imagined on Mars. In keeping with this spirit of exploration and discovery, the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum has designated Mars as its education theme through June 2000. A leading participant in the Mars Millennium Project, the Adler has been designated as one of the national, Midwest, Illinois state, and local centers for the MMP and has been working closely with over 100 teachers and their classes throughout Illinois to guide them in designing their communities. In addition to this website, the Adler produced a temporary Mars Exploration Station exhibit, which ran from February 7 through April 24, 2000, a Mars-themed lecture series, and an exciting show entitled "Blueprint for the Red Planet." Presented in our StarRiderTM Theater, the world's first interactive virtual environment planetarium theater, this show allows the audience to participate in the presentation as settlers on the planet Mars in the year 2030. These Mars settlers choose the location and architecture for their community, as well as enjoy a fly-through of their completed settlement. The Adler Planetarium Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museumamp; Astronomy Museum is located at 1300 South Lake Shore Drive on Chicago's Museum Campus. For information, call (312) 922-STAR or explore the Adler's website at www.adlerplanetarium.org. You can explore the national Mars Millennium Project website at www.mars2030.net. Click one of the menu items to enter the Mars Exploration Station site.!