ISLAMABAD-The preliminary round of exciting activities to mark World Space Week continued virtually by the Institute of Space Technology with an aim to educate young students and the general public about the benefits of space technology and its applications.
The World Space Week activities are being arranged by the Space Education Research Lab, National Center of GIS and Space Applications, IST, highlighting this year’s theme “Space and Entrepreneurship”.
According to an official of IST, World Space Week is the annual week of celebrating achievements and contributions of Space Science, technology, and its applications.  The United Nations General Assembly has declared October 4-10 as World Space Week to educate young students and the general public about the bounties of space technology and its applications. The UN General Assembly selected October 4 to commemorate the launch of the first human-made Earth satellite, Sputnik 1, on October 4, 1957, and the signing of the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space on October 10, 1967.
World Space Week Association, a non-government, non-profit international organization, coordinates this celebratory week worldwide through National Coordinators appointed in each country. In Pakistan, the event is coordinated by the country’s national coordinator, the Secretary of the National Space Agency of Pakistan, SUPARCO, through the Space Education and Awareness Drive (SEAD).
The week is celebrated around the globe in more than 96 countries with 8000+ participants worldwide, organized by different space agencies, aerospace companies, schools, planetaria, museums, and astronomy clubs, all synchronized for effectual public awareness.
Every year, the World Space Week Association (WSWA) declares a theme to highlight a specific aspect of space. National coordinators then plan and organize events around this theme.
The official highlighted that World Space Week’s theme, “Space and Entrepreneurship,” recognizes the growing significance of the commercial space industry in space, the increasing opportunities for space entrepreneurship, and the new benefits of space developed by space entrepreneurs.
With miniaturization and decreasing launch costs, it is now possible for a small business to build and launch a small satellite and for entrepreneurs to create valuable new data products for governments and industry. Following the theme of space and entrepreneurship, NCGSA aims to promote career options and raise space awareness among school and college students through space-related activities and competitions.
With 75 modules for students in grades 6 to 12, participants are taking part in a diverse range of fun learning activities. The overall ten categories covering different domains are designed to include students with different interests and skills, the official said.
The World Space Week celebrations offers a learning opportunity, especially for space enthusiasts who want to pursue a career in space technology. Among the two main rounds of the World Space Week, the preliminary round is being held online from October 6-10, while the final round will be held from November 8-10 at IST. About the categories and modules, the official informed that World Space Week 2023 is holding 75 modules in 10 major categories for students in Grades 6 to 12, including Space Recitations, Space Quiz, Space Creative Writing, Space Applications, Space Technology Demonstration, Space Models and Collectibles, Space Fine Arts, Space Performing Arts, Space Life, and Space Entrepreneurship.
IST has held the legacy of celebrating World Space Week in Pakistan since 2005 in collaboration with the National Space Agency of Pakistan, SUPARCO, with the primary goal of promoting space education and awareness among the mass public. IST cherishes the honour of organizing the maximum number of events in Pakistan during World Space Week every year.
The number of events, participating students, and schools has increased exponentially in the last seventeen years. Following a predefined theme set by the World Space Week Association, various space-related activities are being held for space enthusiasts.