Bass will visit several Houston primary and secondary schools during World Space Week, October 4-10, to discuss the importance of science and math. He will also review students' design proposals for "Lance's Lab," a global youth competition in which the engineers and explorers of tomorrow design a hypothetical space station module for Bass to live and work in.

"I'm very excited about flying in space one day," said Bass, member of popular band *NSYNC and avid space enthusiast. "What excites me even more is the possibility that eventually, nearly anyone will be able to travel in space just as easily as taking a plane from LA to Houston. But that day will only arrive if today's young people choose to build an extraordinary future for themselves. The keys to that future are a solid foundation in math and science."

To conclude World Space Week on Friday, Bass will attend a public event that salutes the benefits space exploration brings to education and all aspects of life on Earth. The World Space Week Celebration, starting at 7 p.m. CDT on October 10 at the Hyatt Downtown Houston, will support Spaceweek International Association's programs to excite students about math and science. Celebration-goers will meet Bass, along with Houston Congressman Nick Lampson and other celebrities.

"Bass' visits to schools will offer students and teachers the opportunity to create a renewed passion and understanding for the horizons that can be explored with math and science," said Dennis Stone, president of Spaceweek International Association.

Declared by the United Nations, World Space Week is held October 4 - 10 each year and is marked by celebrations on all seven continents. This year, nearly 50 nations around the world are expected to participate. Events in the United States will focus on the vital role math and science education play in creating tomorrow's space leaders and pioneers. Highlights include:

Teachers across the U.S. will use space in the classroom all week long to excite students about science and math; NASA will host a Web cast from the International Space Station (ISS), October 9 at 12 p.m. CT, with an opportunity to ask questions of an ISS astronaut; Earth & Sky Radio will host World Space Week radio broadcasts on October 7 and 10; The Space Frontier Foundation will host the "Alt.Space" conference on October 10 in Los Angeles; The Iowa Space Grant Consortium will host a Space Week Science Challenge from October 4-10; The Museum of Texas Tech University will feature a World Space Week celebration on October 4.

"Lance's Lab" is a global youth competition, in which K-12 students are asked to design a hypothetical International Space Station module for Bass to live and work in. Lance's Lab is a worldwide student contest that underscores the fundamental importance of math and science. Winners will meet Bass at an awards ceremony in early 2004.

Special instructional materials are available to schools at no charge, featuring space-related math and science activities for teachers to use during World Space Week. Materials are available in several languages with activities for all grade levels and require little or no teacher preparation. By participating in World Space Week, teachers can excite students about learning and receive cash grants. For details or to download educational materials, visit:

From the United States to Bangladesh, from Columbia to China, World Space Week is celebrated annually in some 50 nations, on all seven continents. It serves to celebrate the contributions of space science and technology to the betterment of the human condition.

Declared in 1999 by the UN General Assembly, World Space Week marks the anniversary of two great milestones of humanity's expansion into space: 4 October 1957 -- Date of the launch into outer space of the first human-made Earth satellite, SPUTNIK I, thus opening the way for space exploration; 10 October 1967 -- Date of the entry into force of the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies

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