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World Space Week 2003 Report
Nationwide
- Major media coverage of World Space Week occurred across the United States, much focusing on the role of World Space Week 2003 Youth Spokesperson Lance Bass. Coverage included CNN, the Associated Press, and youth/entertainment media.
- Teachers used space to excite children about learning by using the World Space Week Teacher Activity Guide downloaded from www.spaceweek.org. Students got a chance to meet Lance Bass by designing "Lance's Lab" during World Space Week.
- The NASA Johnson Space Center held an International Space Station Webcast entitled "Space Station Today" from 12:00-1:00 p.m. CDT on 9 October in support
of World Space Week. Teachers and students around the world participated. The webcast featured live discussions and opportunities to ask questions of Astronaut and International Space Station Program
Scientist Don Thomas and Robotics Flight Controller Royce Renfrew. Poised inside the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo, Thomas explained what it is like to live and work in space and elaborated on the scientific
research being done on the ISS. Renfrew described how robotic systems are helping build and maintain the ISS and granted viewers a sneak peek into his career as a Robotics Flight Controller. Students submitted
questions in advance or during the webcast through the Web site below. For more information, please see http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/education/index.html.
- The National Space Grant Foundation sponsored two Earth & Sky radio broadcasts during Space Week (7 & 10 October). See http://www.earthsky.org.
- NASA invited the public to celebrate World Space Week by viewing the International Space Station as it passed overhead. For sighting information, the
public could visit http://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/index.html. The public could also explore the http://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov site for more information on the ISS crew's activities and to learn about and be involved in the space program.
- The Iowa Space Grant Consortium in partnership with Earth & Sky held the Fourth Annual Space Week Science Challenge October 4-10,
2003. The winner was the 8th Grade Earth Science Class (Third Period) at AGWSR Middle School, Wellsburg, Iowa, Teacher: Ms. Brenda Drake. Ms. Drake and her classroom will receiv an Orion StarMax 90 EQ
telescope, a Garmin e-TREX GPS receiver, and a trip to the Science Station and IMAX Theater in Cedar Rapids. The teachers at AGWSR Middle School will receive a training session from the Extension - Science
Engineering and Technology (E-SET) team along with many great curriculum materials, posters, etc. This year an Orion StarMax 90 EQ telescope was awarded to the top classroom entry for categories K-3 AND
9-12. The winners were the 3rd Grade classroom of Mrs. Ginny Elliott at South Tama Intermediate School, Tama, Iowa, and the 9th Grade Earth Science classroom of Mr. Sean Singewald at Prince of Peace Academy
& College Prep School, Clinton, Iowa. Each and every teacher who submitted an entry received a Classroom Space Travel Kit from Team Encounter as an appreciation gift from the ISGC for participation in
the Challenge. There was a total of 46 participants this year.
- MIT hosted a panel discussion with MIT faculty and local aerospace professionals regarding humans' future in the cosmos. The Horizon Beyond Earth
Panel Discussion was held on 8 October at 5:00 pm on the MIT campus. It was sponsored by the Mars Gravity Biosatellite Project.
- On 4 October, the Dudley Observatory in Schenectady and the University at Albany showed the 1953 sci-fi classic "War of the Worlds", followed by telescope
observing of Mars and other celestial objects of interest. In addition, Moon rock and Martian meteorite samples were on display. This event was open to the public and free of charge.
- The American Museum of Natural History in New York City held free family programs about astronomy throughout World Space Week. For details, see http://www.amnh.org/programs/childrens/.
- World Space Week 2003 Youth Spokesperson Lance Bass of *NSYNC visited Houston-area schools on October 8 and 9 to inspire students about mathematics and science.
- Lance Bass and U.S. Representative Nick Lampson were the keynote speakers at the World Space Week reception held on 10 October at the Hyatt,
Houston. This event was sponsored by World Space Week Association and hosted by radio station KRBE.
- The Museum of Texas Tech University held the following events for World Space Week. For more information, visit http://www.museum.ttu.edu:
- Oct. 4: 12-1:45 PM Family Astronomy Workshop; 1 PM Telescope demonstration by the South Plains Astronomy Club; 1-3 PM Astronomy crafts; 2 & 3:30
PM Public DVD show: New Horizons; 2-2:45 PM Presentation: Mars Exploration Rover
- Oct. 5: 2:00 PM Guest Speaker
- Oct. 7 - Friday Oct. 10: Astronomy workshops for school groups followed by school DVD shows
- Oct. 3-4 and Oct. 10-11: Free Public Observing at the Texas Tech University On-Campus Observatory from 7:30 to 10 PM
- Teachers in the San Angelo region used space in their classrooms during World Space Week. They received special materials courtesy of the Concho
Valley Partnership.
- Teachers in the Clear Lake areas received World Space Week teacher kits courtesy of Hernandez Engineering.
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