The European Space Agency’s Earth Flag competition, held to herald the
launch of ESA’s new Earth observation satellite Envisat, has been a huge
success. Over 11 000 entries have been received from children in the 15
ESA Member States, as well as Canada, which is cooperating with ESA on the
Envisat project.
Each of the 16 winners will be ESA’s guest from 16 to 17 June, at the 44th
Paris Air Show at Le Bourget. On arrival, they will be escorted to a hotel
at Disneyland, Paris, their home during their visit to France.
The most memorable part of their stay will be attending the Air Show on
Sunday 17 June. This is the day when the name of the grand winner of
ESA’s Earth Flag competition will be announced and the children will
finally find out whose drawing has been chosen to emblazon ESA’s Envisat
when it blasts off from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
Although only one of the drawings can be chosen as the ultimate winner,
each of the 16 country winners will receive a personal computer complete
with printer and space software. This, together with an unforgettable trip
to Paris, should allay any initial disappointment at not being chosen to
attend the Envisat launch.
Once in orbit, the largest and most sophisticated Earth observation
satellite to be built in Europe will be one of the world’s most important
sources of environmental data and will make a major contribution to
understanding environmental issues.
Congratulations to all 16 country winners, whose names are given below,
and a big thank-you to all the children who took part. If you would like
to see the winning entries, click on:
http://www.esa.int/envisatcompetition
- Austria: Kristina Marinkovic (aged 12) Vienna
- Belgium: SÈgolËne Dumez (aged 10) Maillen
- Canada: Danthiya Balasingam (aged 10) Montreal
- Denmark: Maja Rose Valbjorn (aged 12) Jyllinge
- Finland: Antti Niiranen (aged 12) Reisjarvi
- France: Clarisse Ostorero (aged 11) Le Reposoir
- Germany: Anke Hartmanns (aged 12) Oldenburg
- Ireland: Anna Moloney (aged 10) County Meath
- Italy: Roberta Rulli (aged 10) San Vito Chietino
- Netherlands: Corinne Smorenburg (aged 11) HH De Meern
- Norway: Thea VangbÊk (aged 11) Oslo
- Portugal: Joao Rodrigues de Campos (aged 12) Coimbra
- Spain: Laura Lucas Olmo (aged 10) Cuenca
- Sweden: Erik Andersson (aged 12) Kullavek
- Switzerland: Cornelia Feller (aged 11) Zollikofen
- UK: Calum Whyte (aged 11) Fife
