Russia’s Sputnik 1 was launched on 4 October 1957. We all remember that.
Carterton resident David Parr was a teenager when he saw it from one of Nelson city’s vantage points.
Since then he has been absorbed with Space and related technological progress, an interest which was partlybderived from his son who now has a U.K.-based AI Space Research company.
Apparently when the lad, young Master James, was at school his teacher observed that he spent a lot of time looking out the window.
His bedroom walls were covered with posters and paintings of rockets and planets. In turn, James’ interest “brushed off” on David, whose phone is now “full of pictures of the moon, lunar rovers, satellites and so on,” he admits publicly.
David explained to a recent Inner Wheel event how promotion of the region through its Stonehenge and Star Safari tourist (and Daffodil Day) attractions has led to economic progress in Carterton.
The “official” creation of the South Wairarapa Dark Sky Reserve, the 21st reserve created” worldwide, has added even more kudos. Because the Reserve encompasses Carterton, Featherston, Martinborough and Greytown, totalling 3,600 hectares, it covers a large portion of the Wairarapa. Masterton is already working to join the Reserve, expanding its dark sky reach.
Carterton celebrates these developments with its annual Space Week. David was part of a group of people half his age to plan this year’s event and was very conscious of being the only person using pen and paper at the weekly meetings.
This year’s programme included:
- a display of astrophotography telescopes and cameras with speakers, Paul Mallinson and Mark Gee, local dark sky photographers;
- children’s activities: launching decorated drink bottles pumped with air pressure –
- pure theatre”, colouring competition scavenger hunts;
- Star Safari’s indoor planetarium;
- Education Expo with speakers from academia and experts in the Space industry
- a talk on celestial navigation.
