Media Invited to ‘Exploring Mars, Discovering Earth,’ 4-10 Oct.
From 4-10 October, more than twenty organizations spread across four continents will be exploring Mars — and discovering more about Earth in the process. A campaign of networked Mars analog demonstrations is being launched to celebrate World Space Week (WSW) 2013.
In the most ambitious global outreach and education campaign for WSW to date, teams of researchers, explorers and educators will carry out Mars simulations and tests of rovers, spacesuits and other hardware at locations worldwide. Activities will include the WSW 2013 Mission to Mars, a 4-day simulation of a human Mars expedition at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah. The 6-person crew will be led by Jon Rask from the Space Biosciences Division at NASA Ames Research Center. The Mission to Mars and all satellite events will be coordinated from the WSW 2013 Mission Control Center, located at the Headquarters of the Austrian Space Forum in Innsbruck, Austria.
‘Exploring Mars, Discovering Earth’ is organized by the World Space Week Association, in partnership with the Space Generation Advisory Council, the Mars Society, the Austrian Space Forum and KiwiSpace Foundation.
Remco Timmermans, Executive Director of World Space Week says, “The ‘Exploring Mars, Discovering Earth’ analog campaign incorporates science, engineering and education activities related to living and working on Mars. We are reaching out to millions of people around the world with the message: We are on the brink of an exciting new era and you can be part of it!”
Gernot Groemer, President of the Austrian Space Forum, says, ‘We are honored to take on the task of operating the Mission Control Center, connecting many of the world’s premier analog research teams for planetary exploration. This year’s Word Space Week will be an impressive showcase of what the solar system exploration community has achieved up to now.”
Media Registration
Media representatives are cordially invited to attend the WSW 2013 Global Mars Analog Campaign launch at the Mission Control Center (MCC) in Innsbruck on 4 October. The MCC is located in the Austrian Space Forum’s Spacesuit Laboratory, Sillufer 3a, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
Program:
10:30: Press conference
11:00: Opening ceremony
11:15: Mass live link-up with all participants in the ‘Exploring Mars, Discovering Earth’ campaign
12:00-15:00: Opportunities for interview with key members of the team and filming
Media registration is free. Any bona fide media delegates can pre-register by e-mailing anita.heward@btinternet.com or monika.fischer@oewf.org by Monday, 30 September.
Media Contacts:
Anita Heward
Press Officer, WSW 2013 ‘Exploring Mars, Discovering Earth’
+44 7756 034243
anitaheward@btinternet.com
Mag. Monika Fischer
Press Officer, Austrian Space Forum
+43 (0)699 1213 4610
monika.fischer@oewf.org
Michael Stoltz
Director, Media & Public Relations, The Mars Society
+1 847-560-1275
mstoltz@marssociety.org
Program Contacts:
Remco Timmermans
Exec. Director, World Space Week Association
rtimmermans@worldspaceweek.org
Gernot Groemer
President, Austrian Space Forum / Mission Control Center
gernot.groemer@oewf.org
Images
http://hive.oewf.org/workbench3/Spaceweek%20Poster%20FINAL%20NO%20TEXT.tif
Exploring Mars, Discovering Earth. Credit: World Space Week 2013
Images from the Morocco 2013 Mars Analog Field campaign are online at http://wsw.oewf.org
About World Space Week
In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly declared October 4-10 annually as World Space Week. Its purpose is “to celebrate each year at the international level the contributions of space science and technology to the betterment of the human condition.” Today, this event is celebrated in about 60 nations each year by schools, space organizations and others. The aim is to inspire children, educate the public and government leaders about space, and to demonstrate public support for space activities.
About the Organizers of ‘Exploring Mars, Discovering Earth’:
World Space Week Association is an international non-profit organization which supports the global coordination of UN-declared World Space Week, held October 4-10 annually. World Space Week 2012 reached record proportions with over 700 events in nearly 70 nations. http://www.worldspaceweek.org/
The Space Generation Advisory Council is a global non-governmental organization and network which aims to represent university students and young space professionals to the United Nations, space agencies, industry, and academia. http://spacegeneration.org/
The Austrian Space Forum (Oesterreichisches Weltraum Forum, OeWF) is a national network for aerospace specialists and space enthusiasts. The organization serves as a communication platform between the space sector and the public; it is embedded in a global network of specialists from the space industry, research and politics. http://www.oewf.org/cms/oewf_en.phtml
KiwiSpace Foundation is a non-profit organization seeking to inspire the next generation of space scientists. The Foundation aims to showcase the benefits and opportunities that space applications provide NZ; highlight the many opportunities for New Zealanders to work in the global space community; and enhance national space capabilities and education programs. http://www.kiwispace.org.nz.
Partner Organizations in ‘Exploring Mars, Discovering Earth’
Australia
Mars Society Australia:
http://marssociety.org.au/
Germany
Part Time Scientists:
http://ptscientists.com/
Hungary
Puli Space Technologies:
http://www.pulispace.com/
International
Astronomers Without Borders:
http://astronomerswithoutborders.org/
Malaysia
Independence-X Aerospace:
http://independencex.wordpress.com/about/
Pakistan
Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) http://www.suparco.gov.pk/
Poland
ABM Space Education:
http://www.abmspace.com/
Hyperion Team, Bialystok University of Technology:
http://www.wm.pb.edu.pl/
Mars Society Polska:
http://www.marssociety.pl/
Scorpio 3; Wroclaw University of Technology:
http://www.scorpio.pwr.wroc.pl/index.php/en/
Spain
WSW Spain:
https://www.facebook.com/WorldSpaceWeekSpain
Switzerland
Swiss Space Museum:
http://www.swissspacemuseum.ch
USA
DUBotics, University of Washington Robotics Team:
https://www.facebook.com/DBRobotics
Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS):
http://hi-seas.org/
Mars Analog Vehicle for Robotic Inspection and Construction (MAVRIC) Team,
Iowa State University:
https://sites.google.com/site/isumavric/
The Mars Society San Diego:
http://marssandiego.org/
Moon Express, Inc.:
http://www.moonexpress.com/
Michigan Mars Rover Team:
http://www.umrover.org/
The Penn State Lunar Lion Team:
http://lunarlion.psu.edu/
University of North Dakota, Human Spaceflight Lab:
http://www.human.space.edu/
