Article Posted on : - Oct 04, 2010

The irresistible desire of man to explore outer space has become an inseparable part of him since the day he has wondered about life, nature, cosmos and their underlying mysteries. This desire has resulted in great achievements. 

From sending artificial satellites to low-Earth orbit to setting his feet on Moon and now, eying to conquer Mars and beyond, man has left no stone unturned in his space exploration endeavours.

To celebrate this glorious feat of humankind, the World Space Week is celebrated every year from October 4 to 10 under the auspices of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and supported by the World Space Week Association, a non-government organization.

“To celebrate each year at the international level the contributions of space science and technology to the betterment of the human condition,” reads the United Nations General Assembly’s 1999 declaration about the World Space Week.

The event, pegged to be the largest public space event on Earth – is dedicated to commemorate two major feats:

Launch of first man-made Earth satellite Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957.

The signing of the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies on October 10, 1967.

Since then, countries across the globe have been commemorating the event every year at the local, industrial and governmental level with the participation of students, teachers, scientists, space leaders, and all other enthusiasts.

Each year, a theme is selected to mark the event. While the theme for 2009 was “Space for Education,” the theme for World Space Week 2010 is “Mysteries of the Cosmos.”

With each space voyage, man unfolds a new mystery of the vast Universe. But with each revelation, comes many other questions. This year's WSW theme encourages participants “to probe what we know, what it means, and what we have yet to learn about the mysteries of the cosmos.”

A total of 55 countries world over are set to celebrate the 11th edition of this grand carnival. Several events are being organised across the globe to celebrate World Space Week 2010. They include:

•  Celebration of WSW at Google Lunar X Prize Summit on the Isle of Man, UK
•  The 11th edition of the Festival of Astronomy in Marrakech, Morocco
•  Public lectures about space engineering and astronomy in Helsinki, Finland
•  Inauguration of mobile planetarium and telescope in Thrissur (Kerala), India
•  Star camp for high school students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
•  Solar and radio observations in Mexico
•  Rocktober skies, a regional rocket launch in Alabama, USA