2004 Berlin Air Show

While the European Space Agency's (ESA) Mars lander Beagle didn't survive its touch down on the red planet last December, visitors to the Berlin Air Show will be able to walk on Mars without endangering themselves. Show organizers have set up a so-called space flight hall that includes models of the planets surface. Round table discussions with astronauts and other space experts are also scheduled to take place here.

A European co-production between Britain, France, Germany and Spain, the Eurofighter Typhoon is set to replace older military air craft over the coming years. Its development has spanned the better part of two decades, with the project's future at times less than certain. But on Tuesday, Germany's Defense Minister Peter Struck announced that the government would not back away from a pledge to buy 180 planes.

Bombardier's Learjet 45 seats up to nine passengers and can travel at speeds of up to 859 km/h (534 mph). Unlike its bigger brother, the trans-Atlantic Challenger, it's more suitable for inner-continental business trips: It can fly non-stop from Athens to London or Denver to New York.

It's not exactly a newcomer but rather celebrating its 21st birthday at this year's show: the Airbus A310. The plane can carry up to 220 passengers and has a range of 9,600 km (5,965 miles). The A310 and its sister model A300 are in service with more than 80 operators worldwide, ranging from scheduled or charter airlines, to freight carriers and military transports.

By the time planes crowded into this exhibition hall in Berlin in 1929, two decades had passed since the first air show in 1909. It was only the third event to take place, however, as World War I had caused a forced intermission. Organizers of this year's fair must hope that they won't have similar problems to those of their colleagues 75 years ago: In 1928, the second show to take place, 40 planes had participated in a rally from Berlin's fair grounds to the city's Tempelhof airport. Only 21 pilots actually made it to their final destination.

Ariane 5 just gave a big boost to Europe's space industry after European aerospace company EADS signed a €3 billion ($3.5 billion) contract to deliver 30 of the rockets to European commercial space launcher Arianespace. While visitors to the Berlin Air Show are unlikely to follow suit and buy a rocket for themselves, they can at least look at models of the launcher at the show's space flight hall.

On Thursday, members of the Swiss air force will take to Berlin skies with their F-5 Tigers -- fighter jets that can reach speeds of up to 1,700 km/h (1,056 mph). They won't be getting too close to spectators though as Germany introduced strict guidelines to prevent accidents at air shows after 100 people were killed at an even in Ramstein in 1986. As a result, jets are no longer allowed to fly directly across people on the ground.

This five-seater plane by German manufacturer High Performance Aircraft (HPA) is still in the development stage and is expected to hit the market next year. HPA officials say their mission is to build a cheaper executive jet by using raw materials and semi finished products from local suppliers and incorporating materials from the car manufacturing industry. The plane is expected to get Frankfurt business travelers non-stop to financial hotspots such as Greenland and Luxor, Egypt.

At 75,30 meters (247 feet) in length, Airbus' A340-600 plane holds the record as the continent's longest aircraft. It seats up to 380 passengers and can fly at speeds of 900 km/h (559 mph). It has a range of 14,150 km (8,792 miles). In a few years, the A340 will be dwarfed by its younger brother, the double-decker A380, which is currently in production.

Two mechanics check the engine of this luxury jet by manufactuer Bombardier. The plane can reach maximum speeds of 850 km/h (528 mph). It offers space for up to 19 passengers and can carry them non-stop from London to New York.

A business jet carrying up to 12 passengers, this plane by French manufacturer Dassault is also used by governments for traveling heads of state. The plane can reach a maximum speed of 870 km/h (540 mph) and travel up to 6,500 km (4,038 miles).

This business jet by U.S. manufacturer Raytheon can seat up to seven passengers and fly at a maximum speed of 835 km/h (519 mph). It will also be on display at the Berlin Air Show this year.