- **January 3:** Launch of *Mars Polar Lander*. - **February 15:** In Scotland, an air traffic controller detects on his radar screen the echo of a very large object moving at 3000 miles/h above the Scottish coast towards South-West Belfast. The size of the echo indicates that the object is 10 miles long and 2 miles wide. 2 minutes later, the object disappears from the radar screen [\[The Observer, 04-06-2000\]]{.source}. - **February 20:** French astronaut Jean-Pierre Haigneré launches for *Mir*. - **March 24:** Beginning of NATO airstrikes against Serbia. - **March 28:** First launch of a *Zénith* rocket in open sea from the *Odyssey* base of the Sea-Launch firm. - **March 30:** The [ESA](orgsScientifiques.html#ESA) signs a contract with Matra Marconi Space for the construction of *Mars Express*. - **July 16:** A report from [COMETA](COMETA.html) is published through a special issue of VSD titled OVNI and Defense: What Should We Prepare For? - **August 11:** Solar Eclipse. - **September 23:** The *Mars Orbiter* probe crashes into the surface of the red planet it was supposed to observe. The [NASA](NASA.html) indicates a navigation error.