On Monday, April 29, 2002, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., and several other sponsors will gather to congratulate the 2001 International World Space Week education award winners.
Maryland Senator, Barbara Mikulski will be the keynote speaker for the 11:00 a.m. awards luncheon at Martin’s Crosswinds in Greenbelt.
One group of winners was a sixth grade science class from Stephen Decatur Middle School (Clinton, Md.) who used their math and science skills to construct and launch model rockets during World Space Week 2001.
Other 2001 winners are from Florida, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Croatia and Turkey and the educational theme was “Inspiration from Space.”
Sponsors of the luncheon event include the Goddard Alliance, Maryland Space Business Roundtable, National Space Society, Prince George’s Tech Council, Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce, Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation and Prince George’s County Public Schools.
Goddard Center Director, A. V. Diaz said, “The 2002 International World Space Week Awards luncheon is a great opportunity for our community to recognize the achievements of tomorrow’s engineers and scientists.”
“I’m extremely excited to be part of a team to host this international event, as it complements our efforts to improve public education, by getting our youngsters interested in math and science, through an interest in space,” said Joseph James, President and CEO of the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation.
International World Space Week (October 4-10 each year) is designed to motivate international students to become more interested in space and science, and increase the general public’s awareness of the contributions that space science and technology can make to the betterment of the human condition.
For their winning project, students from Stephen Decatur Middle School experienced an “Encounter Earth” event at the Howard B. Owens Science Center. While there, students separated into two groups; group one occupied a simulated space capsule and group two occupied a simulated ground-control room. The highly trained team of astronauts/scientists had a limited timeline to complete three challenging tasks. Examples of such tasks include, the students retrieving important information stored in a damage satellite, repairing the satellite, and lastly re-deploying the satellite.
World Space Week marks the anniversary of two significant milestones: the launch of the first human-made Earth satellite, SPUTNIK I, and the entry into force of the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
On the morning of April 29, students, teachers and parents have been invited to attend an educational event and tour of the Center sponsored by Goddard’s Education Programs office.
Representatives from the news media are invited to the World Space Week Educational Awards luncheon and the tour of the Goddard Center on April 29. Media interested in attending the tour or the luncheon should contact Caroline H. Jones at 301/286-0040 by April 26 to make arrangements for badging and clearance onto the Center.
More information about International World Space Week can be found on the web site:
http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/wspw2000.html
