The UAE Space Agency announced that it has received entries of participation from more than 1,850 students from various primary, middle and secondary schools across the UAE, as part of the ‘Space Rocket’ competition which was launched by the Agency during the Dubai Air Show last week.
The Agency said that the final entries had been submitted to the competition, which was organized in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Education Council and the Ministry of Education. The competition comes as part of the UAE Space Agency’s commitment to supporting and strengthening its position towards education in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
The competition gave school students the opportunity to colour and design a rocket which had a fixed template but required creativity and inspiration. The schools that qualify will be awarded a two metre tall rocket model which they will then bring their entries to life on by applying their proposed colours and materials to the models. The final 44 winning designs will then be presented during a special exhibition as part of the celebrations for the 44th National Day of the UAE, as well as distributed across the UAE at prominent landmarks during the subsequent period.
The judging panel which was set up by the Agency has begun the process of evaluating and selecting the most creative, winning posts, which will be announced on 23rd November.
Dr. Khalifa Al Rumaithi, Chairman of the UAE Space Agency said: "The Agency aims, as part of its strategic plans, to encourage students to study science, technology, space sciences for the development of future generations of scientists and researchers. The Agency is therefore keen to organize educational initiatives such at this competition to inspire students to specialize in this area, and hopefully one day contribute to the space sector as valuable resources.”
Dr. Mohamed Nasser Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency added: "The overwhelming response we’ve received for the competition is an indication of how widespread the interest for space is amongst school students. It is recognized that work in the field of space is associated with the highest levels of success and achievements for aspiring and ambitious students."