Celebrate the Sputnik’s fiftieth anniversary: join in the Sputnik’s golden jubilee celebrations all over Europe! From October 4th
Celebrate the Sputnik’s fiftieth anniversary: join in the Sputnik’s golden jubilee celebrations all over Europe!
On Friday 4th October 1957, a Soviet rocket took off carrying a strange sphere weighing 80 kgs, and 4 long aerials called Sputnik (fellow traveller in Russian) on board. From the space, once in orbit, the sputnik transmitted a radio signal, a beep which has become famous all over the world ever since. The first artificial Earth satellite, the sputnik marked a milestone in the conquest of space.
From the Sputnik to the Space race
Fifty years later, the most incredible technological adventure continues … Overall picture of the Sputnik’s celebrations…
World Space Week
A world-wide event initiated by the United Nations in 1999, the World Space Week, takes place every year from October 4th to 10th. 4th October is the day the Sputnik was launched in 1957 and 10th October is a reference to the day the International Space Treaty was signed in 1967.
Each year, about 50 countries organize special events to talk about Space: it goes without saying that this anniversary year, the event is larger than ever! Youngsters will be the first to enjoy this event with their schools and family. You will find this year’s programme on our website along with all the steps which have been taken since World Space Week was created:
www.spaceweek.org.
In France
- Science and Space festival in France
From 8th to 14th October, Space is at the forefront of the Science festival throughout France!
See the festival programme on: www.fetedelascience.fr
- Get to know more about space, at la Cité des Sciences
At la Cité des Sciences (Science Centre) in Paris, 6 conferences for the general public will be held from October to December. Among the subjects which will be dealt with: Space in the service of peace and the future of Europe in space … with contributors from the National Centre of Studies about Space (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales), from the European Space Agency (ESA), from the Astronomic Society in France, etc.
www.cite-sciences.fr
- It’s cosmomania in Toulouse !
At la Cité de l’Espace (Space Centre) in Toulouse, a big exhibition will be held from 4th October. The exhibition will be on tour from January 2008.
www.cite-espace.com
- Keep your eyes wide open in the Luxembourg garden!
80 giant-sized photos about space will be displayed on the Luxembourg garden gates, in Paris.
Don’t forget:
For collectors or fans, the French Post Office has published stamps to commemorate «Sputnik’s 50th anniversary»: Apollo, Sputnik, Ariane 5… none of them is missing! And for the fiftieth anniversary of the conquest of space, the Space Studies National Centre (CNES) has set up a dedicated website www.cnes.fr/50ans/. As for “Ciel et espace” (Sky and Space) magazine, it will dedicate a special issue to the space adventure in October www.cieletespace.fr
In Germany
- Celebrating Sputnik in Bochum
Since 10th August, a big exhibition called «Cosmos, Communism, Cold War – the Sputnik’s 50th anniversary» has been held at Bochum Observatory, one of the first in West Germany to have received the Sputnik signal in 1957. There will be symposiums and activities intended for young people along with the exhibition which is open to the public until 31st December 2007. See the comprehensive programme on www.sternwarte-bochum.de
A website was also created on this special occasion:
www.sputnik50.de
In the U.K
- Celebrations for the general public on the Isle of Wight
On 4th, 5th and 6th October 2007, Vectis Astronomical Society will celebrate Space in Newchurch with a variety of conferences, presentations and observations. A competition will also be organized. Launchers and satellites will have no more secrets for you.
http://www.vectis-astro.org.uk/events2006.htm
- There will be 10 days to celebrate the space adventure’s first steps in Manchester
From Friday 5th to Sunday 14th October, Jodrell Bank observatory, a radioastronomic observatory, attached to the University of Manchester, will be welcoming all space fans with a vast number of activities and a giant screen which will be showing spectacular pictures. You’d better book your tickets now!
www.jb.man.ac.uk
- A family festival in Birmingham
Many activities, for the public will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the space conquest at Thinktank during the month of October with a film, various workshops to learn to design a launcher, and even fly a spaceship on Mars.
http://www.thinktank.ac/explore/events/events.htm
In Spain
- « Living in space, the challenge of the 21st century »… in Pamplona!
There are only a few days left to discover this exhibition which will end on 6th October, after a great success with the general public in Madrid. This event was organized in collaboration with the National Institute for Aerospace Technology and the Council for Scientific Research at Pamplona planetarium.
www.pamplonetario.org/expo/2007/0707-vivir-en-el-espacio/index.html
