Rocket scientists
have headed down to Earth and back to school as part of World
Space Week - the largest annual public space event on the planet.
World Space Week celebrates the contributions of space science
and technology to human society and involves all the world’s
space-faring nations.
The UK space sector is second only to the United States in space
science, supporting 68,000 jobs and contributing £6.5billion to
the economy.
UK science and engineering expertise features in over 40
operational missions – from Herschel, the largest space telescope
ever built – to Galileo, Europe’s first satellite navigation
system. World Space Week is also an opportunity to celebrate this
UK success story.
Science and Innovation Minister, Lord Drayson said:
"The UK excels in space research, leads the world in
developing space-based technologies and delivers down-to-earth
benefits for millions of people. Today we have sat-nav to tell us
where we are, but we also have the complex data monitoring and
modelling of climate change to help us predict where we will be in
the future. That is why we continue to support and invest in space
research."
Schools, businesses, clubs and academic institutions across the
UK are taking part in World Space Week, celebrating space with a
range of events, including exhibitions, schools visits,
teacher-training workshops and lectures.
World Space Week will be followed by space-related events during
the half-term holiday, including activities at the National Space
Centre in Leicester to highlight all the different nations
involved in space missions. ‘It’s Not Just NASA’ will
demonstrate thecollaboration that created the International
Space Station, as well as missions from India, China, Japan,
Russia and Europe.
Notes to Editors
World Space Week runs from October 4 – 10 and is celebrated by
over 60 nations. It was set up by the United Nations General
Assembly in 1999 to celebrate ‘the contributions of space science
and technology to the betterment of the human condition’. The week
is coordinated by the UN with the support of the World Space Week
Association. Details on UK events can be found at
www.worldspaceweek.org. More information on the role the UK plays
in global space activities is available on the British National
Space Centre (BNSC) website www.bnsc.gov.uk World Space Week is
timed to mark the anniversary of the launch of the first
human-made Earth satellite, Sputnik 1, in 1957. It ends on the
anniversary of the 1967 signing of the ‘Treaty on Principles
Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Peaceful
Uses of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial
Bodies’. The BNSC is a cross governmental organisation that
co-ordinates UK civil space activities and brings together
representatives from Government, science, industry and education
to promote advances in space technology and science. BNSC also
supports efforts to use space within the teaching of maths,
engineering and science to inspire young people.
Department for Business, Innovation &
Skills
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is
building a dynamic and competitive UK economy by: creating the
conditions for business success; promoting innovation, enterprise
and science; and giving everyone the skills and opportunities to
succeed. To achieve this it will foster world-class universities
and promote an open global economy. BIS - Investing in our future.
Contacts:
BIS Press Office
NDS.BIS@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Una Flynn
Phone: 020 7215 5256
Una.Flynn@bis.gsi.gov.uk