Have you planned something for the Space Week?

Every year, the World Space Week is held from 4th to the 10th of October. 4 October is the date that Sputnik-1, the first artificial satellite,was launched in 1957. And 10 October is the date that the General Assembly adopted the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. The purpose of World Space Week is to internationally celebrate the contribution that space science and technology can make to the betterment of human condition.

During the week a lot of activities, programmes and competitions are organised in approximately 50 countries. The theme for this year, 2006, is "Space for Saving Lives." In your school, with friends or at home you can develop projects or hold programs on the many ways that space helps to save lives on Earth. This includes disaster management, such as after the major tsunami in Asia, telemedicine, and environmental protection. [Space Week activities and ideas]

Last year, the theme for Space week was "Discovery and Imagination". The United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (OOSA) had invited grades 5 - 8 school students from around the world (mostly from Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia) to participate in designing a base on Mars. Each class was asked to build a model of a Mars base that is suited to the conditions on Mars and that includes everything the researchers would need to survive and work on Mars. After building the base, participating groups submitted photos and descriptions of their Mars base. [See Photos of the Mars base designed by other children]

If your teacher participates in the space week, he or she can compete for the Heinlein Award. And if the teacher wins.....the prize will be the visit of a real space suit to your classroom. So tell your teacher to participate. You and your friends can help the teacher win. [Space suit visit]