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For immediate release

February 25, 2015

Space Mining – a video gaming workshop

OTTAWA, February 25, 2015 – In a not too distant future, we might be able to harvest minerals from space objects such as comets and asteroids.

This March Break, children are invited to imagine what that future might look like by taking part in a fun video gaming experience using the popular Minecraft game. This unique activity will take place at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum (CASM) and is presented by the Canada Science and Technology Museum.

During the gaming workshop, participants will further their knowledge of the properties of materials and minerals often used for space exploration. They will then team up using the popular Minecraft game to dig up the minerals they need in order to build a space shuttle that would take them up in space.

To complement the gaming workshop, a small exhibition of objects and artefacts will help participants realize how products derived from mining are ubiquitous in our lives. What does a selection of state gifts to Canada and an ancient samurai helmet have in common? They have both been made from metals and minerals that had to be extracted from our planet. The exhibition also includes a real robot prototype conceived for lunar mining!

The Space Mining video gaming workshops will be offered to children ages 8 to 13, from February 28 to March 8, and from March 14 to 22, during the Quebec and Ontario March Breaks. Workshops for children 8 to 10 will take place from 9 a.m. to noon, while those for children ages 11 to 13 will take place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is $25 and includes general admission for one adult and the participant. Reservations must be made through the CSTM’S website. Participants need to have a basic understanding of the Minecraft game, and computer stations for the workshop are provided.

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INFORMATION:

Olivier Bouffard
Media relations
613-410-5943

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