DISCOVERY.COM AND SPACEREF.COM LAUNCH ULTIMATE ONLINE SPACE RESOURCE


(June 22, 2000 – Bethesda, MD) Discovery.com, a trusted Internet destination from Discovery Communications Inc., and SpaceRef.com, the personal space reference site, today announced that they have entered into an agreement in which Discovery.com will exclusively host SpaceRef.com creating the ultimate online resource for students, professionals and space buffs everywhere.

As part of the agreement, Discovery.com will integrate SpaceRef.com content into the site’s existing Space Guide. Included in the integration is SpaceRef.com’s suite of tools and services such as daily news and status reports, a calendar of events, and the extensive SpaceRef Directory of space related resources which includes the world’s only dedicated space search engine. SpaceRef.com also houses the Whole Mars Catalog and Astrobiology Web and will launch a new digital multimedia collection that contains over 10,000 NASA images and descriptions covering all American manned missions.

“Space is a signature area of our site and a natural fit with our brand. We are extremely pleased to be able to expand upon our popular space content through this new relationship with SpaceRef.com,” said William Allman, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Discovery.com. “Our mission is to empower users to “Discover Something New Everyday,” and with the addition of this new, deep content that connects our audiences to the mysteries of space, they truly can find something new on each visit.”

“We are excited to be working with Discovery.com,” said Keith Cowing, Co-Founder of SpaceRef.com. “Their commitment to quality content has set the gold standard for science and technology programming around the world. Their emphasis upon education is one of their core strengths and one we hope to further enhance with SpaceRef.com”

Cowing’s partner Marc Boucher said, “SpaceRef.com was looking for a partner that would compliment and augment our reference tools, creating the basis for the Internet’s primary space portal. With Discovery.com, we have found the perfect partner.”

This latest announcement is part of Discovery.com’s ongoing build out of space-related content, which has included regular updates on MIR, astronomy, space travel, exploration, history and more. Highlighting the space category will be the addition of a comprehensive interactive look at the International Space Station, slated for fourth quarter of this year. Users can find Discovery.com’s space related content by heading to Discovery.com and exploring by subject under “Space.”


About Discovery.com:

Discovery.com is a trusted destination on the internet that consolidates the resources of Discovery’s flagship networks (Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Travel Channel and Discovery Health Channel) into one destination dedicated to empowering audiences to discover something new every day. The premier Web site devoted to enriching people’s lives, it offers rich, useful content and commerce opportunities in seven distinct categories: Discoveries, Animals/Pets, Health, Travel, Lifestyles, Schools and Kids.

Discovery.com, Inc. is a subsidiary of Discovery Communications, Inc. (DCI). DCI is a privately held, global entity headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, and is the leading global real-world media company. DCI operates three distinct business units: Discovery Networks, U.S.; Discovery Networks, International; and Discovery Enterprises Worldwide.

About SpaceRef.com:

SpaceRef.com is a suite of tools and services designed to allow both the novice and specialist alike to explore outer space from their personal computer. SpaceRef.com is operated by SpaceRef Interactive, Inc., an international Internet content and database firm specializing in scientific and technical websites with offices in Reston, Virginia and Victoria, British Columbia.

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Contact:


Discovery.com
Eileen Ratnofsky, (301)771-4449
Eileen_Ratnofsky@discovery.com
SpaceRef.com
Keith Cowing, (703) 787-6567
kcowing@reston.com