World Space Week Logo

There’s a lot happening in the world of space at the moment! This week is the UK Space Conference, next week is World Space Week and, as we discussed in our previous blog, Landsat-9 successfully launched on Monday!

Today is the last day of the UK Space Conference, which is being held online this year. It began on Monday and there have been lots of interesting presentations and discussions during the last couple of days. Last week, as an addition to the main conference, there was a set of Space101 talks, aimed mainly at start-ups, SMEs and those who are new to, or considering entering the sector. Pixalytics’ Samantha Lavender led a session on ‘Building a Space Data Business’ with Alastair Graham, from Sparkgeo and Lucy Kennedy from Spottitt.

Next week, between 4^th and 10^th October, World Space Week is celebrated, because:

• 4th October 1957 was the date of the launch of the first human-made Earth satellite, Sputnik 1, and
• 10th October 1967 was the date that the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, came into force.

The origin story of World Space Week began in Houston in America in 1980, when the World Space Week Association co-ordinated the first ‘Spaceweek’ in the middle of a July to commemorate the first Moon landing. Twelve months later, they turned the week into a nationwide event, and over the following eighteen years it became established as an international event with over a dozen countries participating in ‘SpaceWeek’.

In 1999, at the Third United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III), it was agreed ‘to invite the United Nations General Assembly to declare … World Space Week between the 4 and 10 October for the yearly celebration at the international level of the contribution that space science and technology can make to the betterment of the human condition.’ This was confirmed by the United Nations General Assembly on the 6^th December later that year.

So every year, at this time, is World Space Week. Each year has a theme and this time it’s ‘Women In Space’. To date, there are already over one thousand registered events taking place across the globe next week. Some of the highlights identified by the organisers are:

• Space Foundation in the United States organizing a weeklong “Space Is Better Together“ event highlighting the impact of women on the space sector.
• Philippine Space Agency holding a “Build Your Own Model Satellite” lecture.
• The International Astronomical Union will celebrate 100 Hours of Astronomy around the world.
• Phoenix Space, a nonprofit which offers space-science-focused STEM education programs to refugee and disadvantaged students in the Middle East, will conclude their LaunchPad Challenge academic competition
• SSERD in India will organize a 2-week Outreach Program with webinars, workshops, and competitions for all age groups across the world.

Whilst, in the UK, there are already 35 events registered ranging from lectures and interviews, to question and answer sessions, demonstrations and a few competitions. There is plenty to get involved with.

All the events are listed on the World Space Week website, which you can sort by country and on a map, together with the details on how to participate. Remember that, like last year, a lot of events are taking place online and so don’t get constrained by geography – you can participate in many events across the planet.

Pixalytics is also getting involved this year – but we’ll tell you more about what we’re doing next week!

Lots of exiting things are happening in space at the moment, so why not get involved?