In 1968, filmmaker Stanley Kubrick presented to the world a dazzling, maddening and instantly iconic vision of life in the future in his film "2001: A Space Odyssey". We are now at the dawn of the new millennium, the year 2001. Although many of the prophecies from Arthur C. Clarke have been proved wrong, we are now, as predicted, able to venture beyond the atmosphere, and ready to explore deeper into the mysterious Universe. 

    In the film, travel to Earth's moon has become as mundane as a business shuttle from New York to Washington. Heywood Floyd, head of the space agency in the movie, takes a Pan Am shuttle to a huge orbiting space station and then hops a spherical ship to the moon. There he heads a confab about that mysterious black monolith, possibly of alien origin, that his scientists have dug up.

   Alas, no one from our Earth has been to the moon since Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt became the last two astronauts to scratch the surface in 1972.

   And the human-staffed Jupiter jaunt in Kubrick's film (in Clarke's book, they even go on to Saturn) may still be decades away. We haven't even been to Mars yet, and it's a lot closer.

   However, what Clarke got right is that we, as an important thinking being, have a constant and strong desire to explore the space. That is the most ancient desire from the human souls. To live up to "2001's" dream of extensive space exploration is our goal. 

   And you, as a new cadet in the SPACE ACADEMY, shoulder the responsibility of fulfilling a dream shared by all. You have been selected in a new expedition mission to search for alien life forms in the outer stretch of the universe (In the film, alien form would have already been discovered). You may look out for more information in the Introduction.

   Don't worry that you are still young and inexperienced, you have the determination and potential, and above all, the academy shall render much help during your preparation. You will undertake a series of trainings and lessons in the Academia. On yourself, you may also look up for resources in the Library. Your progress will be recorded in your Handbook. Be honored, be committed, for what you shall discover at the end will deserve much more than the time and effort spent.

   Unnecessary words shall be saved, and hail! Reach out into the darkness to find the true light. Your own space odyssey in the year 2001 and beyond commences now...

   Good Luck!!!