Fly your picture on the International Space Station

School children aged 6-12 are invited to take part in a competition to design a t-shirt for ESA astronaut Frank De Winne to wear during his mission to the International Space Station next year. The winner, and all their classmates, will get to talk to De Winne in space.

In May 2009, Frank De Winne, of Belgian nationality and a member of the European Astronaut Corps, will fly to the International Space Station. De Winne will spend 6 months on board the Station and will conduct scientific experiments developed by scientists from different countries worldwide. He will also teach two lessons from space to children on the ground during his mission. On this occasion he will wear a very special t-shirt. The front of this t-shirt will bear a picture created by a European child who currently attends primary school.

You, maybe? Any child aged from 6 to 12 who is a resident or national of any ESA Member State* in the school year 2008-2009 is invited to participate in the competition. The winning drawing will be printed on a t-shirt which De Winne will wear when giving a lesson from space.

The winner, together with their whole class, will have an opportunity to talk to Frank De Winne in space. Of course, the winner will be the first one to say “Hello“, introduce his/her class and ask the first question. Make sure to tell your teacher that you are participating. ESA will help your teacher to organise the event.

How to participate

The drawing has to reflect the following themes:

Europe is exploring space Humans are explorers by nature. Achievements in space benefit life on Earth. Europe has a legacy in exploration. First it was the Earth and now it is Space. From space our planet looks blue because of the water Clean water is important for healthy life of all humans, all children on Earth. Clean water is the right of every human in the world. In short: make sure that the drawing includes the elements which in some way symbolise or represent space and the Earth - the blue planet covered by water.

If you consider participating, note the following: Your drawing can be any size and shape as long as it fits inside a circle with a diameter of 30 cm. Please use bright colours, but only a few! When you are finished drawing, step back 2 to 3 metres and check that your picture is easy to see and to understand. It has to be sharp and clear. On the back of your drawing write your full name, age, home address and telephone number. This is very important - we need to be able to contact you if you win. Remember to tell your parents and your teacher that you are participating. Send your picture to us at the address at the bottom of this article. Competition rules

The competition is only open to school pupils aged 6-12. Drawings are only accepted from residents and nationals of the ESA Member States*. The drawing has to reach us the latest on 22 October 2008. Make sure to post it on time. The winner will be announced on the ESA website at the beginning of November 2008. Relatives of ESA staff members are not allowed to take part in this competition All submissions are individual. No group submissions will be accepted. Only one drawing per participant will be accepted. By submitting the drawing, the participant declares that this is his or her own work and is not copied from any other original work. ESA bears no responsibility for verifying the authenticity of the drawings. By submitting the drawing, the participant hands over to ESA all the rights to use the drawing for the purposes outlined in this announcement and for communication purposes regarding the mission of Frank De Winne. By submitting the drawing, the participant confirms that a parent/legal guardian is informed about the submission and agreed to it, taking into account the above conditions. Submission address: ESA/ESTEC/HSF-AP 'T-shirt drawing competition' Keplerlaan 1 2201 AZ Noordwijk The Netherlands

* Residents and nationals of the following states are allowed to participate in the competition: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

ESA astronaut Frank De Winne during emergency evacuation training at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. De Winne was back-up for Léopold Eyharts for his long-duration stay on the Space Station.

Credits: NASA-KSC