ISLAMABAD: World Space Week celebrations started in Pakistan from Monday featuring a number of events including space related competitions, awareness sessions, workshops and demonstrations.
World Space Week is the annual week of celebrating achievements and contributions of Space Science, technology, and its applications.
The United Nations General Assembly has declared October 4-10 as World Space Week to educate young students and the general masses about the bounties of space technology and its applications.
The dates signify the UN General the launch of the first human-made earth satellite, Sputnik 1 on 4th October, 1957, and the signing of the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Peaceful Uses Outer Space, on 10th October 1967.
World Space Week celebration includes space education and outreach events held by space agencies, educational institutions, planetaria, museums and astronomy clubs around the world in a common timeframe under the ambit of the United Nations to enhance awareness about space and related technologies and to highlight its role towards national development.
SUPARCO being the National Space Agency of Pakistan annually organizes World Space Week (WSW) as WSW national coordinator since the year 2005.
Pakistan has managed to make its mark each year with the most number of events conducted globally and stood second in 2019 and 2020.
This year, the globally celebrated event of space is being conducted on the theme of ‘Women in Space’ which rejoices the accomplishments and contributions of women to sciences and the space sector, and aims to inspire young women around the world to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) studies and future careers in the space industry.
National Center for Geographic Information System and Space Applications (NCGSA), Institute of Space Technology and other organizations are celebrating the World Space Week through arranging different activities.
The categories of the online events include Space Knowledge, Space Quiz, Space Creative Writing, Space Life, Space Leadership, Space Business, Space Mission Design, Space for Sustainable Development Goals, Space Fine Arts, Space Visual Arts, Space Graphics, Space talks, Space Notes, Space Webinars, Space Workshops and Space technology workshops.
World Space Week (WSW) Pakistan in collaboration with Space Education and Awareness Drive (SEAD) of Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) has also planned exciting contests, online training, space webinars and live astronomical observations for students, educators and the general public.
A number of contests are being arranged under the four categories including Space Technology Contests, Space Arts and Crafts Contest, Space Architecture Contest and Space family/Interactive Contests.
The Space Technology Contest includes Space Photoshop Contest, Space Doodle Animation Contest, Innovative Idea Challenge, Egg Drop Parachute Challenge, Hello Satellite Contest, Space Character Contest, Innovative Space Rover Model Design Contest and GNSS Constellation Model Making Contest.
While Space Arts and Crafts Contests include Space Digiart Contest, Space Calligraphy Contest , Portrait Art Contest, Galaxy T-Shirt Design Contest, Women in Space Timeline Contest, Space Poster Making Contest, Space Shuttle Design Contest.
The Space Architecture Contests include Space Monument Contest, Mars Colony Design Contest while Space Family/ Interactive Contests include My Room in Space Contest, Virtual Declamation Contest, Space Story Contest and Space Comics Contest.