(EMAILWIRE.COM, January 31, 2001 ) This is a great competition for kids aged between 8 and 12 from the European Space Agency's 15 member states and Canada.

The top prize is a trip to French Guiana in South America to see their award-winning drawing blasting up from Earth on a space rocket.

What do I have to do to win?

You have to create a flag to represent the Earth. You can do this by drawing it, painting it or making a collage. Your drawing will be placed underneath the Envisat logo.

Your picture will be judged on its originality and simplicity, and remember, it must be in colour and visible from a distance. You also have to write a short text (no more than 300 words) explaining what your flag represents.

Why does ESA want a flag of the Earth on the Envisat launcher?

Envisat is the satellite for Planet Earth. As its job is to help care for and protect the Earth, ESA feels that the Ariane launcher that will be used to send Envisat into space should carry a flag depicting the Earth.

What can I win?

16 flag designs will be selected, one from each of the 15 ESA Member States and one from Canada. The 16 winners will each receive a computer, a colour printer and exciting new software about space.

The best flag design from the 16 winning entries will be chosen, blown up to approximately 2 metres by 2 metres and put on the huge Ariane-5 launcher that is going to propel the new Envisat satellite into orbit.

The overall winner will be invited, together with their parents, to be ESA's guests for three days in French Guiana, South America in July 2001 to watch the Envisat launch from ESA's launch base in Kourou. You could see your flag blasting into space!

How do I enter?

By post:

Your picture should be on a piece of paper sized 30 cm x 21 cm and accompanied by a short description on a separate piece of paper. Remember to put your name, age and address both on the back of the drawing and on the description, so that we can contact you if your entry is selected. Send your entry to: Earth Flag Competition
ESA/ESRIN
Via Galileo Galilei
Frascati (RM) 00044
Italy


or by email:

You can scan your picture and send it by email in a jpg, gif or bmp format to: compcom@esa.int .Again, remember to send the short description and to include your age, name and address.

All entries should be received by 31 March 2001.

Competition rules

Participants

This competition is open to children aged 8 to 12 of one of the 15 ESA Member States: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, as well as Canada, a contributor to the ESA programme.

Relatives of ESA staff members are not allowed to take part in this competition. One picture will be selected for each Member State plus Canada and the overall winner will be invited to be ESA's guest for three days at the Envisat launch in July 2001 in Kourou, French Guiana.

Subject

Participants are requested to send in a picture of a flag to represent the Earth. This should be in colour and can be a drawing, painting or a collage, landscape format, size 30 cm x 21 cm. We regret that original artwork cannot be returned. The picture should be accompanied by a short description, maximum 300 words, describing the flag.

Submitting entries

Name, address and age should be written clearly on the back of the picture in the top left corner. This information should also be put on a separate page, together with the short description of the picture. Entries can also be sent by email and should be in a jpg, gif or bmp format. Again, these must be accompanied by a short description of the Earth flag and include the age, name and address of the contestant. All entries must be received by 31 March 2001.

Judging

The entries will be judged on the basis of originality and simplicity, remember the details on the picture need to be visible from a distance. Please note the judges' decision is final.

The closing date for entries is 31 March 2001 and winners will be advised by the end of April 2001. A list of the winners, together with pictures of their entries, will be posted on the ESA site by 1 May 2001.

What is Envisat?

Envisat is a new advanced Earth observation satellite due to begin its 5-year journey in space in July 2001. ESA has been using satellites to "keep an eye" on the Earth for many years now but Envisat, the new European environment satellite, will provide scientists with even more accurate information and data on the Earth's atmosphere, oceans, land and ice.

Why is this important? Scientists need data about the Earth to allow them to predict environmental and climatic change, such as global warming, as well as to tell us what the weather is going to be like. ESA's Earth observation satellites create accurate radar images of the Earth's surface, giving us new eyes on our world. Their contribution towards understanding environmental issues is invaluable.

Envisat, which has been developed by Europe's most respected and talented scientists and engineers, is the World's most ambitious Earth observation satellite. On board the spacecraft will be 10 highly sophisticated instruments that will work day and night, in all atmospheric conditions, collecting crucial environmental data.

Envisat will be the Earth's most important source of environmental information and will help Europe to play a major role in global environmental issues.

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Produced for the European Space Agency

Contact:
Fulvio Drigani
39 06 94180844
Fulvio.drigani@esa.int

http://www.esa.int/competition

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Contact Information:
European Space Agency
Joseph Nchor
Tel:
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