World space week: SUPARCO ‘encouraged by interest shown’

Water rocket competition the most popular activity of the week.

LAHORE:

As many as 40 schools across Lahore participated in the World Space Week activities organised by the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco).

The commission had organised various activities – including quiz competitions, astronomy night and model making competitions – in 10 cities across the country from October 4 to October 10.

The cities were: Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Abbottabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Hyderabad and Gilgit.

The theme for 2012 was Space for Human Safety and Security.

The World Space Week activities ended in Lahore with a prize distribution ceremony in which telescopes were awarded to 21 students who secured the top three positions in seven competitions.

Though a commission official lamented popular ignorance about space, he said they were heartened by the interest many people had shown this year.

“There is little, in fact very little, people here know about space and the technological advancements in the field,” said Shujaud Din Taimuri, divisional head of flight equipment and manufacturing at the Satellite Research and Development Centre (SRDC).

Taimuri said it was important that the younger generation be exposed to knowledge about the space. That is why the commission had decided to focus on activities targeted at the youth, specifically students.

One of this year’s accomplishments, said Taimuri, was that the commission expanded space week activities to two other cities in the Punjab besides Lahore. Three-day awareness sessions and activities were held at the Islamia University in Bahalwapur and Agriculture University in Faisalabad. Taimuri said they hoped that in 2013, the activities will be week-long.

“What’s great is that people are showing interest. That is highly motivating for us at Suparco,” he said. Non-profit associations Khawarzimi Science Society and the Lahore Astronomical Society had provided telescopes for the astronomy night, in which around 150 students participated, according to the official.

Organisers claim that the most popular activity of the week was the water rocket competition.

Students were asked to design rockets on the spot with the materials provided by Suparco.

The commission had earlier given four-month training at a ‘water rocket camp’ so they could teach students how to build water rockets. The commission’s media cell said as many as 50 schools participated in the training camp while around 30 participated in the competition.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2012.