NASA, Lockheed Martin and learners of all ages around the world are celebrating Space Day 2009 beginning Friday, May 1.

Space Day is an education and public outreach initiative that takes place annually on the first Friday of May. This year’s theme is “Celebrating Human Space Flight: Past, Present and Future.” In formal and informal learning settings around the world, students, teachers, friends and families will celebrate the accomplishments of space exploration by engaging in math and science educational activities. Lockheed Martin sponsors Space Day.

Since Space Day’s inception in 1997, people around the world have been introduced to space-related science, technology, engineering and mathematics. A Space Day toolkit of educational activities, along with games, space facts and other resources, can be found at: http://www.spaceday.org

Space Day activities include:

A national celebration on Saturday, May 2, at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington. The celebration will include a visit from the astronaut crew of the most recent space shuttle mission, STS-119, and a live conversation with an astronaut currently living aboard the International Space Station. Numerous other hands-on educational activities for kids will fill the museum from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. EDT. This family event is free and open to
the public.

Schools, scouting troops and other educational organizations will sign their names to large posters that Lockheed Martin will scan and digitize. NASA will fly the signatures on the next space shuttle flight. More than 5.6 million signatures have been flown to date. NASA and Lockheed Martin jointly sponsor the Student Signatures in Space program.

Space Day in Your Neighborhood offers groups the opportunity to let the world know about their Space Day activities by registering them on the Space Day web site. More than 180 events have been registered in countries worldwide, including Canada, Chile, India, Japan, Germany, Pakistan, Brazil and Australia. NASA and Lockheed Martin invite others to list their events.

The NASA and Lockheed Martin celebration of Space Day continues a strategic partnership that connects students, educators, families and the public to NASA’s mission. These joint activities provide a hands-on introduction to space-related science, technology, engineering and math. The goal is to inspire students of all ages to learn more about these disciplines and ultimately pursue careers in science and engineering, strengthening the future workforce for NASA and the nation.

For information about Space Day or Student Signatures in Space or to register your event, visit: http://www.spaceday.org

For more information about NASA, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov

For information about NASA education programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/education

For more information about Lockheed Martin, visit:
http://www.lockheedmartin.com