World Space Week

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

World Space Week (WSW) is the largest annual public space event on Earth. The United Nations General Assembly declared in 1999 that World Space Week will be held each year from October 4 to October 10. These dates commemorate two events:

• October 4, 1957: Launch of the first human-made Earth satellite, Sputnik 1, thus opening the way for space exploration, and;
• October 10, 1967: The signing of the Outer Space Treaty.

Today, World Space Week is celebrated with a myriad of events in some 50 countries. As World Space Week 2007 is the 50th anniversary of the space age, the scope of participation is expected to grow this year.

Government agencies, industry, non-profit organizations, teachers, or even individuals can organize events to celebrate World Space Week. WSW is coordinated by the United Nations with the support of Spaceweek International Association and local coordinators in over 50 countries.

The World Space Week 2007 theme is "50 Years in Space." This theme encourages reflection on the accomplishments in space of the last 50 years and looking forward into the future. Participating organizations are encouraged to use the theme, but are not required to.

World Space Week is open to all. Any organization with a space-related activity in the October 4-10 timeframe is encouraged to promote the event as part of World Space Week. To get global publicity and recognition, organizations should email event details to admin@spaceweek.org.

Programs of World Space Week are for both adults and children, and include viewing the heavens by telescope, model rocket launches, conferences and exhibitions, and web-based promtions. Schools and teachers across the globe use space this week to inspire students to learn. A wide variety of teacher materials are available. For information, visit www.spaceweek.org.

The UN General Assembly said World Space Week shall be an international celebration of science and technology and their contribution to the betterment of the human condition. Thus many participating organizations focus on the key role that space and space technology play in helping developing nations and inspiring students everywhere.

Teachers have found that World Space Week is the ideal time each year to use the universary appeal of space to excite students about virtually any subject. A number of teacher guides are available for free download from www.spaceweek.organd from the websites of many other space organizations around the world.

A key strategy of World Space Week is to attract media coverage. By synchronizing many events around the world, a news story is created. Media coverage of World Space Week reaches a massive audience with the positive message of space.

Highlights of World Space Week 2006 included:

• The largest public space event on Earth, with celebrations in some 50 nations.

• Nigerian student Stella Felix became the first student to fly in weightlessness as part of the World Space Week Youth Inspiration Project. Her flight attracted global media coverage, including as a World Headline on CNN.com and multiple BBC interviews heard by tens of millions.

• In Washington, NASA Associate Administrator Rex Geveden addressed space leaders at a World Space Week Reception at the Cosmos Club. The following day, the World Space Week US Coordinating Committee was formed.

• Teachers globally used space to motivate students this week including language arts activities based the work of author Robert Heinlein, available for the first time in Spanish. Teachers competed to get a real space suit for their classroom.

[edit] External links

• World Space Week website