World Space Week is October 4 to 10. Find events here

World Space Week dates back to 1999, when the UN General Assembly declared a week-long international celebration of science and technology every October 4 to 10. These dates were picked in honor of the October 4, 1957, launch of Sputnik 1 and the October 10, 1967, Outer Space Treaty regarding exploration and peace. The theme of this year’s celebration is space and entrepreneurship.

The mission of World Space Week is:

… to strengthen the link between space and society through public education, participation and dialogue on the future of space activity.

According to the website, the goals of World Space Week are to:

• Provide unique leverage in space outreach and education.
• Educate people around the world about the benefits that they receive from space.
• Encourage greater use of space for sustainable economic development.
• Demonstrate public support for space programs.
• Excite young people about science, technology, engineering, and math.
• Foster international cooperation in space outreach and education.

World Space Week activities

Activities this year will center around the recognition of the growing significance of the commercial space industry. The World Space Week Association hopes to inspire students worldwide to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and business. It also hopes space companies can take this opportunity to recruit workers needed for the expanding commercial space industry.

Anyone can create a World Space Week event. Here are some steps to follow.

Some of the unique events happening around the world include:

Space City Soundscapes: An Organ Concert of Cosmic Proportions in Houston.
SYZYGY: Aligning Visionaries with Space and Entrepreneurship in Iloilo City, Philippines.
Junior Astropreneur Xchange in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Space Fashion Show in Yenimahalle, Turkey.

Find an event near you.

Bottom line: World Space Week runs every year from October 4 to 10. This year’s theme is space and entrepreneurship. Find events here.