World Space Week 2000 Report

I am very pleased to inform you that it was a significant success. As you know, we join you in September, so it was impossible to organize a big program during such a short time. We concentrated our efforts on publishing information in mass media about the idea of Space Week International. Not trying to be pathetic, I could say, that this year we rather planted a seeds than celebrated the harvest.

We opened the Spaceweek on 4th October, at 5 pm at Panasonic IMAX Cinema in Warsaw. After speeches of prof. Robert Galazka (Chairman of Committee on Space Research) and Mrs. Grazyna Staniszewska (Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission on Culture and Education) we screened an amazing educational film "Blue Planet" made by Smithsonian Institution from the Shuttle on the Earth orbit. Our guests were: members of Parliament, Warsaw authorities, scientists, journalists from 80 newspapers and magazines, CEOs of corporations active in field of space industry and last but not least - children.

Each journalist received a list of experts from Committee on Space Research and Space Science Centre, who declared their will to consult articles about space exploration. I think that this "direct" contact with journalist will encourage them to write more (and better) about Space. During the week there was many programs about exploration of Space on Polish Television, Polish Radio and in press and weekly magazines. As a main event, we planned a Space Competition for children. Because of presidential elections that were held during a Spaceweek in Poland, we decided to announce the competition on 2^nd November – when the first crew of ISS entered the Space Station.

The first stage of the conquest was :

• the best picture "my home in Space"

• the best short story "The house with a view on Earth"

Information about the contest is available (in Polish only) on our web site kosmos.siecpospolita.org or www.siecpospolita.org

The winners of the competition will be proclaimed on 10^th January 2001.

The best picture will go to the ISS! Scott Parazynski promised us to take it to orbit during his flight in April. Mr Andrew Turnage from Association of Space Explorers helped us to arrange this extraterrestrial transport.

The author of the best story will be awarded by Mr. Stanislaw Lem – a prominent science-fiction writer, who is also an honorary patron of the conquest.

The prizes were founded by sponsors: Boeing, Sun, Philips and Bank of America.

World Space Week 2000 Plans

The opening of World Space Week in Poland will take place on 4th October 05.00 pm at Panasonic IMAX Cinema in Warsaw. After speeches of prof. Galazka, Chairman of Committee on Space Research, and Mrs. Staniszewska, Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission on Culture and Education, we will screen (on the greatest screen in Central Europe) an educational film "Blue Planet" made partially from Earth orbit. Our guests will be members of Parliament, Warsaw authorities, scientists, journalists, CEOs of corporations active in field of space industry, IT technologies and telecommunication and first of all children. Polish TV, Radio and all main newspapers will inform about this ceremony.

During this event we plan to announce a competition for young people. We would like to encourage children to create at their schools Young Space Explorers Associations. The competition will be held in two categories:

• for the best scientific program, which could be carry out on International Space Station and benefit the local communities on Earth,
• for the best Web site about International Space Station,

We would like to focus the interest of children on ISS because of extended coverage on start of the first crew of ISS, which we plan in the first days of November.

We formed a group of journalists representing scientific departments of Polish Television, 1st and 3rd Channels of Polish Radio and main Polish newspapers and weekly magazines. All of us aim to publish several articles or programmes about exploration of Space (also after the Space Week).

We will open a special Web site with information about World Space Week and our competition.

Scientists from Polish Space Research Centre formed a group of consultants to serve journalists with their knowledge.

We also prepared a list of scientists who will help children in difficult problems related to the competition.

We do have a strong support from the association Interkl@sa which is the biggest (and very influential) supporter of Internet for schools, led by Mrs. Staniszewska MP. They will develop the competition in schools.

contact us

Copyright ©2000-2008 World Space Week Association. All rights reserved.