Ohio's Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus, Ohio, in association with the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, WA. and the Battelle Memorial Institute will create and circulate a 4,000 square foot traveling exhibition, "Mission to Mars." Interactive exhibit units will be organized into a spacecraft mission simulator. Visitors in teams will run a scientific mission to the planet Mars. Exhibits and simulation activities will cover basic and applied science and mathematics topics appropriate for middle to high school students and family audiences. Educational materials for school use will accompany the exhibition. COSI has a strong reputation for interactive science exhibitions. Their widely acclaimed "Science of Sports" exhibition will be seen in more than 15 cities. The Pacific Science Center has a similar reputation for educational exhibitions and related materials development. Their educational materials on dinosaurs have been widely used by other museums. The Battelle Memorial Institute is a world- renowned research and applied science organization. "Mission to Mars" is supported by commitments from thirteen of America's leading science museums and a major award from Apple Computer Company. The project team will deliver a timely exhibition that will be both engaging and challenging, rich with scientific detail while still appealing to family audiences. "Mission to Mars" will travel to 13 cities on a three year tour, reaching an estimated three to five million people. NSF's 43% of the project cost will be leveraged by more than $878,000 in contributions from the originating institutions, from the displaying museums and from Apple.
