April 12, 1961 Yuri Gagarin made his first flight in space, the first human to do so. It was an event that helped shaped space flight for the U.S. and Russia and eventually for many countries around the world.
Every April 12th the world celebrates Yuri’s Night to commemorate this first flight in space but also the launch of the first Space Shuttle, STS-1, on April 12, 1981. There is a large following that celebrates Yuri’s Night around the world, including Antarctica. In Seattle, Yuri’s Night is celebrated at the Museum of Flight and I had the opportunity of attending last night.
In addition to a short piece from a documentary of Yuri Gagarin’s flight and the Space Shuttle, Dr. Bonnie J. Dunbar, CEO of the Museum of Flight and an Astronaut, gave an excellent presentation of her own preparation and eventual flight to the MIR Station.
The celebration of these two milestones is one way for those who care about space can inform and inspire interest in our space programs for the future. It is particularly important now as the U.S. is retiring its space shuttle and will be dependent upon Russia to transport our Astronauts to the International Space Station. By the way, if you are interested in tracking the International Space Station, which is as large as a football field and is visible from the earth we were told, you can do so by going to this site.
This celebration had a very personal quality for me as I had the privilege to tour Russia’s Star City in 1997, where the Cosmonauts and Astronauts train for their missions. It was a very impressive tour, including a view of Yuri Gagarin’s desk and the mock-up of the MIR; an experience I will not forget.
So where are our space programs going from here in Russia and the US? As Dr. Dunbar shared, probably Mars and maybe the Moon will become a staging center for that trip to Mars, which takes 6 months each way.
A lot to think about and something we should all celebrate. Join the many fans of space who celebrate this new frontier by attending the next Yuri’s Night either in your local community or online. I know I will.
