World Space Week 2013 Press Release

4 October 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Send in a rock and bring two worlds together – World Space Week and Swarovski partner to create Earth Master Sample crystals

For centuries, the collection of samples of rock, soil and ice has played a crucial part in understanding how our own planet has evolved.  Collecting and analysing samples in-situ is a key task for robotic planetary missions like the Curiosity Mars Rover – and bringing rock samples from surface of Mars back to Earth is the long term goal of space agencies around the world. Now, to celebrate the theme of World Space Week 2013 – Exploring Mars, Discovering Earth – people all over the world are being invited to submit a fist-sized rock from their local area to form part of an ‘Earth Master Sample’.

A fragment from each of the resulting collection of rocks will be ground to a powder, mixed together with a Mars meteorite, and melted down by leading crystal producer, Swarovski, who will craft a unique set of 100 crystals to commemorate the event.  The crystals, which will be unveiled by Swarovski at the Yuri’s Night celebrations on 12 April 2014, will be presented to representatives of space agencies, policy makers and thought leaders around the world.

“The theme for World Space Week this year highlights the growing importance of planetary analog research and the wealth of knowledge that can be derived from sample analysis,” says Remco Timmermans, Executive Director of World Space Week.  “By participating in the Earth Master Sample campaign, people can show their support for analog exploration and their aspiration to see Mars exploration continue through sample return missions and, eventually, human expeditions.  I would like to believe that the geologists and scientists that will explore Mars are alive today.  By demonstrating the support for this campaign, we can show decision makers that Mars exploration is something that humanity – across all borders and cultural divides – really wants to achieve.”

Dr Gernot Grömer, President of the Austrian Space Forum says, “For most of the participants it will be the only time in their life that they will take a geological sample.  By collecting a rock for Earth Master Sample, people will join a long tradition of explorers trying to understand their environment.”

Rocks will be submitted for the Earth Master Sample by the 12 partners in the  ‘Exploring Mars, Discovering Earth’ Mars analog campaign, including the Centro de Astrobiologia in Madrid, Spain, the UK’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, the French deep-sea diving specialists, Comex, the University of North Dakota’s Human Spaceflight Laboratory, the University of Michigan’s Mars Rover team, the Technical University of Białystok’s Hyperion rover team and Google Lunar XPRIZE teams Puli Space and Part Time Scientists.

“We can learn so much about the Red Planet from studying Mars-like place on Earth – we may even find out if life could evolve on Mars through studying ecosystems in extreme terrestrial environments,” says Dr Felipe Gomez, Mars analog researcher at the Centro de Astrobiologia in Spain. “Likewise, we might also learn clues to our own planet’s future by studying the history of water on Mars and what happened to transform Mars into the cold, dusty planet we see today. Through analog research, we can understand our place in the solar system.”

STEPS FOR COLLECTING ROCKS FOR THE EARTH MASTER SAMPLE

1 – Take a picture of the sample site and a scale (e.g. classmate, family member etc.) from at least 10m distance

2 – Take a close-up picture with a scale (e.g. hammer, pen, etc)

3 – Note your geographical location (e.g. 31°22.363 N 4°4.357 W)

4 – Take a fist-sized rock sample. (No soil samples, no sand please).

5 – put the sample into a clean plastic bag. IMPORTANT: Label the samplingbag with: date (DD/MM/YY) + Time (HH:MM) + geographical coordinates. (e.g. 17AUG13 17:22, 47.234 N / 11.234 E)

6 – Send an email to listing the geographical location, the two pictures and the details of a contact person.

7 – Mail the rock-sample to: Austrian Space Forum / Earth Master Sample
Project,
Sillufer 3a,
6020 Innsbruck, AUSTRIA

Deadline: 15. November 2013 (for arrival of rocks at the Austrian Space Forum)

IMAGES

Images can be found at: www.oewf.org/en/press/photos/

CONTACTS

Remco Timmermans, Exec. Director
World Space Week Association
957 NASA Parkway, Suite 350
Houston TX 77058, USA
www.worldspaceweek.org

Vera Klotz
Swarovski International PR
WWW.SWAROVSKI.COM/PROFESSIONAL

Gernot Grömer, President
Austrian Space Forum / Mission Control Center
Sillufer 3a, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
www.oewf.org

MEDIA CONTACTS

Anita Heward, Press Officer
WSW 2013 ‘Exploring Mars, Discovering Earth’

ABOUT SWAROVSKI

SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS is the premium brand for the finest crystal elements manufactured by Swarovski. The designer’s choice since the founding of the company in 1895, SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS provide global brands and designers from the fashion, jewelry, accessories, interior design and lighting industries with the latest on-trend innovations.

Available in myriad colors, effects, shapes and sizes, SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS offer designers a fabulous palette of inspiration. Born out of a passion for detail and high-precision cutting, they impart refined glamour to everything they embellish.

These precious ingredients can be recognized by their ‘MADE WITH SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS’ label, which serves as a certificate of authenticity, identifying products made with genuine SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS.

Swarovski, a family-owned company for more than 100 years, with values rooted in integrity, respect and excellence, is noted as much for its ethics in business as for its contemporary artistry and innovative flair.

WWW.SWAROVSKI.COM/PROFESSIONAL

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.

https://www.worldspaceweek.org/

The Space Generation Advisory Council is a global non-governmental organisation and network which aims to represent university students and young space professionals to the United Nations, space agencies, industry, and academia.

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The Austrian Space Forum (Österreichisches 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.

https://www.oewf.org/cms/oewf_en.phtml

KiwiSpace Foundation is a non-profit organisation 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 programmes.

https://www.kiwispace.org.nz