Sunday marked the start of five days of space-related exhibits and activities as part of the annual Israel Space Week.

The Israel Space Agency and the Ministry of Science launched a special Hebrew-language website with video clips, space and technology news and ideas for home activities aimed at getting children interested in space technology and exploration.

The Land of Israel Museum in Tel Aviv will host central exhibits and activities, while planetariums in at least half a dozen more cities will also open their doors to Israelis young and old as they look toward the heavens.

Among the activities on offer, all of which are free of charge, are satellite building workshops, planetary observations, and astronaut training courses.

Among the guests of honor will be NASA astronaut Nicole Stott and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi.

Ilan Ramon, Israel’s first astronaut who died in the tragic Shuttle Columbia accident, will also be a central focus of the event. Ramon has been a major inspiration for thousands of young Israelis interested in space-related technology and exploration.