Keeping track of Yuri's Night

Edit by Brice R.
4/11/2008 | 0 comments

So you're running a small party that won't have much going on, or *gasp* you're actually nowhere near a Yuri's Night party this year. Don't worry! There are still plenty of ways to keep up with and even participate in Yuri's Night 2008 without leaving your house.

More than in any previous year, parties in Yuri's Night 2008 will have the ability to give updates on their events in any format. Yuri's Night is teaming up with UStream.tv to provide live video updates from all interested parties. Yuri's Night Boulder, Yuri's Night Stuttgart and Yuri's Night Bay Area are just some of the parties that have registered UStream accounts for their video feeds.

If you're interested in following Yuri's Night Goddard, UPop will be airing live from NASA Goddard on XM, AOL, DirecTV and other means of satellite radio. Finally, for those of us who prefer textual updates, the Yuri's Night Twitter feed (found at http://twitter.com/YurisNight) has been opened to editing by all party managers. This should be a constant source of updates from parties as the night goes on, so keep checking back.

You don't have to just sit and watch everyone have all the fun, though. Take part in Yuri's Night Second Life! The virtual world program, downloadable at http://secondlife.com/, is accessible to virtually anybody with a computer, and Yuri's Night celebrations will be going on in the Extropia community all day long. Award-winning science-fiction author David Brin will participate in an open discussion in Extropia's Central Nexus from 1-2:30 PM Pacific Time. Visit http://core.extropiacore.net/ for more information.

Enjoy celebrating Yuri's Night however you can!

Party Profile: NASA Ames Center, California

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4/11/2008 | 0 comments

After a 2007 event that drew over 4,000 attendees and global attention, the NASA Ames Research Center in the San Francisco Bay Area is ready to hold a party even bigger and better than last year's. Over the course of 12 hours (1:30 PM - 2 AM), NASA Ames' Moffett Field will host dozens of speeches, presentations, artistic exhibitions and musical acts on four separate stages.

At its heart, Yuri's Night Bay Area is a giant party, and the all-star musical lineup is sure to satisfy any space enthusiast with a dancing urge. Prominent acts include indie synthpop band Freezepop, the 17-member percussionist Gamelan X, acclaimed electronic artist Amon Tobin and Telstar, featuring former Grateful Dead guitarist Phil Lesh. Over 25 different acts will be performing throughout the day, not including the ambient DJs playing round-the-clock in the relaxing Orbital Lounge. Bring your best space outfit to party in--the best outfit, as decided by the audience, will win a free flight in zero gravity (ERV: $4,000).

There's more to celebrating space than partying, though, and NASA Ames has a dazzling array of scientific and artistic installations. Notable displays include: the 2008 Tesla Roadster, the world's first high-performance production electric vehicle; the BD-5 Jet, the world's smallest jet airplane; Burning Man Earth, a 3D virtual representation of the annual outdoor festival; and many artistic displays and exhibits. Live performances include interdisciplinary dance company Capacitor, multimedia performance group Bad Unkl Sista and the mesmerizing LED displays of Flowtoys. Don't forget to catch Aeronautika at 6 PM, an hour-long aerobatic display with two Soviet-era aircraft and the venerable American Pitts Special biplane.

Finally, make sure to take some time for the ongoing speakers and events. Will Wright, game designer of The Sims and the fifth inductee into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame, will be speaking on and giving demonstrations of the highly-awaited game Spore. NASA astrobiologist Jonathan Trent, green entrepreneur Saul Griffith and The Long Now Foundation co-founder Stewart Brand. Other events include the Festival of Ideas, a continual group discussion session on issues related to the future of humanity, and the S.T.E.A.M. Screen Documentary Program.

This only scratches the surface of the ridiculously wide variety of events going on at Yuri's Night Bay Area this Saturday. If you're anywhere in the area, make sure to try your hardest to stop by. Tickets are $40 on the YNBA website (http://sf.yurisnight.net) or $50 at the door.

Yuri's Night 2008 set to kick off Saturday

Edit by Brice R.
4/11/2008 | 0 comments

Each April 12th since 2001, Yuri's Night has held dozens of parties around the world in celebration of the historic rocket launch of Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. This year's festivities are shaping up to be the biggest and most diverse yet, with over 175 events registered in 50 countries on all 7 continents.

Each Yuri's Night party is unique--events range from academic presentations to all-night dances to backyard barbecues and everything in between--but every event has the same purpose: to get people of all ages excited about space. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of NASA's founding, Yuri's Night is working with NASA centers across the nation to hold parties in Huntsville, Alabama, Washington, D.C., Houston, and San Francisco. The latter event, set to take place on Moffett Field at the NASA Ames center, is the flagship event for Yuri's Night 2008. Thousands of people are expected to attend this massive event with scientific and artistic presentations, music by acclaimed artists Amon Tobin and Freezepop, and speeches from luminaries such as game designer Will Wright.

Yuri's Night is a global event. Parties are planned for nearly every state in the USA, but large-scale events are also scheduled for Tokyo, Japan, Stuttgart, Germany, Ibadan, Nigeria, and Star City, Russia, among many other cities. Parties are even being held at the South Pole and Extropia in the Second Life virtual world, where science-fiction author David Brin will be making an appearance.

To find the party nearest you, visit http://www.yurisnight.net/2008/party-central/find-party.php; odds are good that at least one will be nearby. If there isn't, you can still keep up with the action on UStream, which will have live feeds from several of the biggest parties throughout Saturday evening. You can also watch a Yuri's Night greeting from the crew of the International Space Station at http://www.yurisnight.net/2008/resources/video.php.

Many parties continue selling tickets at the event (or have free admission), so there's still plenty of time to make Yuri's Night part of your weekend plans. We hope to see you there!

Yuri's Night is a program of the Space Generation Advisory Council, an organization dedicated to engaging and developing the next generation of space leaders.

UPop broadcasting live from Yuri's Night Goddard starting 8 PM Saturday

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4/11/2008 | 0 comments

UPop 29, an internationally popular program aired on XM, AOL, DirecTV and WorldSpace Satellite Radio, will be broadcasting from NASA Goddard for their highly-anticipated Yuri's Night event. Ted Kelly and Joe Bonadonna Jr. will be coming at you live starting at 8 PM ET, with special guests, interviews, and music on the schedule throughout the night.

The UPop promo for their Yuri's Night broadcast is available at this link; make sure to tune in tomorrow to join in on the event!

For more information on tomorrow's broadcast and on UPop in general, visit http://www.worldspace.com/upop.

Party Profile: Boulder, Colorado

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4/11/2008 | 0 comments

Students from around the world aren't just attending Yuri's Night parties this year--they're hosting them, too, and Yuri's Night Boulder is one of the largest such events.

Organized by Ryan Kobrick and the rest of CU-SEDS (the University of Colorado chapter of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space), Yuri's Night Boulder is shaping up to be a daylong celebration of space with events for all ages. The program begins at CU's Fiske Planetarium, where free Astronomy Day events are running from noon to 5. Space-related speakers, exhibits, "Russian Space Pens", and ice cream will be available for this family-friendly event--and when you've had enough of the rush, don't forget about the free massages courtesy of Lifelong Massage!

Following Astronomy Day (from 5-7 PM) will be a free presentation of the classic October Sky, with an autographed copy of Homer Hickam's Rocket Boys to be raffled off during the movie. Afterwards, live music from mindSpiral and a telescope giveaway will end the festivities at Fiske, running from 7-8:30 PM.

After the sun goes down, make sure to make your way to Trilogy Wine Bar & Lounge (2017 13th St., Boulder), where the club partying begins at 9 PM. Live music will be provided by The Piggies and Other Side of Clearview, and free vodka shots (for 21+ attendees, of course) will be awarded to the best space costumes.

Over 1,000 people are expected to show up for Yuri's Night Boulder, so make sure to stop by and join the fun! For more information, visit http://boulder.yurisnight.net/

Yuri's Night Boulder is co-sponsored by the Secure World Foundation. Other sponsors include the United Government of Graduate Students (UGGS), AGI, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), Ruby's Diner, Trilogy Wine Bar & Lounge, and Lifelong Massage. Yuri's Night is a program of the Space Generation Advisory Council, an organization dedicated to engaging and developing the next generation of space leaders.

Party Profile: NASA Goddard, Washington, D.C.

Edit by Brice R.
4/11/2008 | 0 comments

Less than a thirty-minute drive from the capital of the United States of America, the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is one of several NASA facilities gearing up for Yuri's Night festivities this weekend.

Starting at 7 PM on Saturday, the 12th, the NASA Goddard Visitor's Center will be transformed into a club with a tech expo twist. As music from local band The Cassettes and hip-hop DJ Scientific (a NASA aerospace engineer by day) plays, visitors will have the chance to check out various exhibits, jump in the Moon Bounce, and dance the night away under Goddard's 5-foot Science On A Sphere, the ultimate disco ball. Other planned events include Space Jeopardy and various space-related contests and giveaways.

Light refreshments will be served, and beer and wine specials will be available until the event ends at 1 AM. Tickets are $15 at the door and $10 in advance, but advance sales end at midnight Friday, so act fast!

For more information about Yuri's Night Goddard, visit http://dc.yurisnight.net/.

Yuri's Night is a program of the Space Generation Advisory Council, an organization dedicated to engaging and developing the next generation of space leaders.

Yuri's Night ISS greetings, other videos now available

Edit by Brice R.
4/10/2008 | 0 comments

For the second straight year, the crew on the International Space Station has released a video greeting to all Yuri's Night parties. Commander Peggy Whitson, Garrett Reisman and Yuri Malenchenko of Expedition 16 say hello "to everyone down on Planet Earth celebrating Yuri's Night", and talk about the beauty of Earth and the importance of April 12th in astronomical history.

To view or download the greeting, along with greetings from AGI and other videos, visit http://www.yurisnight.net/2008/resources/video.php.

Party Profile: Reno, Nevada

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4/10/2008 | 0 comments

Most of the wildest Yuri's Night events in recent years have been held in Reno, Nevada, and YN Reno 2008 looks to be no exception. Reno is better known by many for its proximity to the annual week-long Burning Man outdoor festival, and many of the features that make Burning Man so popular will be present at this exciting event.

Starting at 9 PM Saturday at the Bliss Nightclub (535 E. 4th St., Reno, Nevada), YN Reno will feature light shows, mini-theme camps, video hookups with other Yuri's Night parties, and space dancing that promises to last throughout the night. The band lineup is headlined by breakbeat band The Aut0b0ts, with other electronic music ready to go. Don't forget about the interactive fire art (supervised by Justin of Reno Controlled Burn) and the Deep Space Chill Zone (across the street from Bliss), which will feature Zsu Zsu's Game Show.

Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door; unfortunately, all partiers must be 21 or older. For more information on Yuri's Night Reno, or to buy your tickets, visit http://www.mutantvehicle.com/yuri.htm. Due to the high demand for this event, tickets may sell out before the 12th, so buy yours now!

Yuri's Night is a program of the Space Generation Advisory Council, an organization dedicated to engaging and developing the next generation of space leaders.

Party Profile: South Pole Station, Antarctica

Edit by Brice R.
4/10/2008 | 2 comments

A Yuri's Night update from the South Pole, where the night will last for the next 6 months, by J. Dana Hrubes:

South Pole Station will be celebrating its 8th annual Yuri's Night this April 12th, starting at 8:30 PM New Zealand Standard Time. Yuri's Night South Pole was first held in April 2001 in the Skylab Lounge, when we were still living in the Geodesic Dome at Pole. See the April 2001 page for some Yuri's Night photos from Skylab's 3rd floor lounge on http://polar.home.att.net.

This year Yuri's Night will be celebrated in the B1 lounge of the new Elevated Station at the South Pole.

At South Pole Station, winterovers are isolated from February 14th until the last week of October. This winter we have 60 winterovers, including 51 station support and construction personnel and 9 scientists working on projects in astrophysics, cosmology, atmospheric sciences, upper atmospheric physics and more. This time of the year is beautiful. We are at high altitude, with physiological altitudes reaching as much as 12,300 ft and static temperatures as low as the -110's F (-80's C) by July and August. The sun set on March 21st and we will enjoy the stars, auroras, satellites and iridium flares over the high Antarctic plateau throughout the 6 months without the sun.

Related links:
South Pole Science 2008: http://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/antarct/science/south_pole_prj0708.jsp
South Pole Telescope: http://pole.uchicago.edu/
For South Pole history and general news: http://www.southpolestation.com

J. Dana Hrubes
Winterover, South Pole Telescope
Station Science Leader
Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station
Antarctica

Yuri's Night shatters previous party records

Edit by Brice R.
4/09/2008 | 0 comments

When Yuri's Night, an organization dedicated to forwarding the cause of space exploration by holding events around the world each April 12, held over 120 parties on a single day in 2007, it was viewed as an incredible accomplishment unlikely to be topped. Earlier this week, though, Yuri's Night 2008 not only met that mark but completely left it in the dust, registering 168 parties in 49 countries, with 3 days still left before the big event.

"I was astounded," said YN Director of Media Relations Brice Russ, who's been involved with Yuri's Night since 2006. "Breaking 100 parties in 2007 was fantastic, but the rate of growth we've seen this year has just been phenomenal. I'm really excited to see so many people around the world this interested in celebrating space, and it's going to be great to watch all the events come together this Saturday."

With the recent confirmation of a Yuri's Night party planned for Antarctica's South Pole Station, Yuri's Night has parties officially registered on all 7 continents for the first time since 2006, and for the second straight year Yuri's Night will be holding parties on two "worlds"--thanks to its event on the Second Life virtual world. Parties are planned for the steppes of Zelenogorsk, Siberia, to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from the mountains of Santiago, Chile to the bayous of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and everywhere in between.

Yuri's Night is dedicated to celebrating the 47th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's first manned spaceflight in a variety of ways, and a host of celebrities and personalities are coming out to speak or participate in various events. Will Wright, the legendary game designer of SimCity, The Sims and the highly-anticipated Spore, is the keynote speaker at Yuri's Night Bay Area, which will also feature renowned electronic artist Amon Tobin and former Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh.

Award-winning science fiction writer David Brin will be present at Yuri's Night Second Life (to be held in the Extropia community), and NASA Ames center director Pete Worden is one of many NASA officials, scientists and space experts expected to attend one of the 168 events. There might even be a prerecorded greeting from a surprise group, available for display at all YN parties. Wherever you are, there's probably going to be a Yuri's Night party nearby--so visit http://www.yurisnight.net to find out how you can party for space this weekend.

Yuri's Night is a program of the Space Generation Advisory Council, an organization dedicated to engaging and developing the next generation of space leaders. Contact brice@yurisnight.net for more information about Yuri's Night.

Yuri's Night Double Party Profile: San Diego, California and Havre, Montana

Edit by Brice R.
4/08/2008 | 0 comments

From the beaches of Southern California to the mountains of Montana, people all across America--and across the world--are gearing up for Yuri's Night, which is only four days away! Here are two more Yuri's Night events that demonstrate the ways that people are celebrating this April 12.

San Diego, CA -— Several San Diego spaceflight advocacy groups are getting together with the "Killer Pizza From Mars" restaurant in Oceanside to celebrate cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin at the YURI'S NIGHT WORLD SPACE PARTY, an international celebration held on April 12 every year to commemorate the first human being in space.

The event will take place on Saturday, April 12, 2008 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at:

Killer Pizza From Mars
3772 Mission Ave. at El Camino Real
Oceanside, CA 92054
Phone: 760-722-6060
www.killerpizzafrommars.com/oceanside.htm

The organizations coordinating this local event include the San Diego Space Society (http://sandiegospace.org/), The Mars Society - San Diego (http://MarsSanDiego.org/), The UCSD Chapter of Students For The Exploration and Development of Space (http://www.seds.org/), and The Moon Society (http://www.moonsociety.org/).

Special Guest Speakers will include:

Francis French: a book and magazine author from Manchester, England, who specializes in space flight history. He is a former public relations manager at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, a former director of events for Sally Ride Science, and is currently the Director of Education at the San Diego Air & Space Museum. French has met, and will be screening a multimedia presentation on, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.

Scott Borden: Space Agent at Virgin Galactic, the leading source for information and reservations for Virgin Galactic's sub-orbital space flights. Virgin Galactic is Sir Richard Branson's space tourism venture, currently on track to begin commercial operations in late 2009. Borden will be hosting a multimedia presentation about Virgin Galactic, the world’s first private spaceline.

This event is open to the public -- please RSVP to: events@sandiegospace.org.

Media Contact:

Gerry Williams
The Mars Society - San Diego
619/723-3456
filmist@mac.com
http://MarsSanDiego.org



Havre, MT -- Yuri's Night Havre has something for everybody this April 12th, as this birthplace of Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer is hosting a series of events that will run throughout the day.

YN Havre will be held in the Student Union Building ballroom at Montana State University-Northern, and begins at 4 PM with a special presentation for the kids. The adults' presentation will begin at 7 PM, and will be followed at 8 with partying and music from the band Blind Luck. Pizza from a Russian family-owned business and two telescopes will be available as the party goes on until midnight.

Make sure not to miss out on this fantastic event!

Media Contact:
Spike Magelssen
SMagelssen@yurisnight.net

Party Profile: Alexandria, VA

Edit by Brice R.
4/05/2008 | 0 comments

Alexandria, V.A.--Art Whino (www.artwhino.com) in partnership with ABJ Productions (www.artbyjared.com) launch Yuri's Night '08 World Space Party, April 12th, 2008 from 8pm to 2am at 717 N. Saint Asaph St. Alexandria, VA 22314.

Tickets are now on sale, $20 in Advance or $25 at the Door. Admission price includes entertainment and 3 drink vouchers good for Stoli Vodka's cosmic-concoctions. Cash Bar available all evening. To purchase tickets, visit www.outofthisworldparty.com.

This is a 21 and older event.

Join Art Whino for an OUT OF THIS WORLD experience as we celebrate Yuri's Night, a World Space Party commemorating Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, and the first human space flight. Yuri's Night is like the St. Patrick's Day or Cinco de Mayo for space. It is a day when the world comes together to celebrate the power, beauty, and party potential of space.
So dress yourself in your best celestial attire (prizes awarded); come see an art exhibition of other-worldly magnitude, and enjoy a Vodka of space themed libations by Stoli Vodka. Cosmic burlesque performances featuring Miss Saturn, spaced out Russian-style post-punk music by Mr. Moccasin, spacey DJ sets, and more will temporarily elevate you from your daily earthly existence.

Performances by: Miss Saturn, Gilded Lily Burlesque, L'il Dutch & selected scenes from Landless Theatre Company's Space Battles the Musical will orbit throughout the night, hosted by the enigmatic Master Uranus.

"Circling the Earth in my orbital spaceship I marveled at the beauty of our planet. People of the world, let us safeguard and enhance this beauty — not destroy it!" Yuri Gagarin, 1st human in space.

SPACE - Space themed art show

Art Whino artists come together to present SPACE a space themed art show:
Alan Defibaugh
Arabella Proffer-Vendetta
Bryan C
Brandi Read
Chris Bishop
Jared Davis
Jason Snyder
Julie Steiner
Olivier Defaye
Papermonster
Scott G. Brooks
Shawn Huddleston
Todd Gardner

Band Perfomance by: Mr. Moccasin

Mr. Moccasin, the brainchild of Hanna Badalova, 23, and Jared Fischer, 27, performs world music-inspired post-punk.

Badalova, born in Azerbaijan (a part of the former Soviet Union), is a fluent Russian speaker and sings in both her native language and English to enhance the emotional contexts of the songs. Prior to Mr. Moccasin, Fischer, a Baltimore native, performed in several experimental, lo-fi punk bands including Fridge A and Salad Days.

Now in a new rambunctious seven-member ensemble, Mr. Moccasin combines drastic chord changes, big riffs, Eastern-tinged violin, cello and mandolin, and a constant barrage of bilingual, hallucinatory lyrics.

Additionally, in 2007 Badalova and Fischer contributed their voices and original music to the animated CBS television series Creature Comforts (produced by Aardman Animations, creators of the popular Wallace & Gromit claymation series), and some of their space cred includes being a spaced-out horse and mule couple in all seven episodes.

Current lineup: Hanna Badalova, vocals; Jared Fischer, guitar and mandolin; Chrissy Howland, bass; Sine Jensen, violin; Greg Hatem, drums; Stephen Reichert, keyboards; Colin Campbell, cello; Dave Chrismer, percussion.

Miss Saturn

Miss Saturn is truly an original. Time Out New York says it best, "(She) personifies the sequined forces of vaudeville and comedy." She has been a mainstay of New York City's top burlesque and Vaudeville scene for the past 8 years and has wowed audiences across the city and the USA traveling with the Bindlestiff Family Circus as well as opening up for the bands Modest Mouse, Reverend Horton Heat, The Faint, The Walkman, The Dresdon Dolls, Los Straight Jackets, and Velvet Revolver. She recently performed with Moby in the Jonathan Ames and Moby Show.

No matter if you see her at a late night comedy show or an afternoon children's show she is sure to entertain.
"There is something ineffable about Miss Saturn. Actress, comedienne, dancer, and clown, she hula-hoops her way through New York's Burlesque Revival – Saturn, rings, got it, right? – always leaving a dash of titillating mayhem in her wake."—The Pepper of the Earth Blog

http://www.misssaturn.com

L'IL DUTCH

L'il Dutch is a DC-based burlesque artist, producer and an ardent fan of all things atomic and space age - as well as boomerangs. Bringing a mix of traditional, modern and campy performance style to her work, she performs in and produces a monthly burlesque show, The Dutch Oven. This bonanza is held the first Thursday of each month at The Palace of Wonders showcasing new and established talent rocketing to burlesque stardom along with audience participation and prizes that are out of this galaxy.

Gilded Lily

Gilded Lily Burlesque is a troupe of six ravishing and bawdy beauties. Gilded Lily's artistic mission is to preserve one of the most unique and quintessentially American forms of performance art- burlesque. Always careful to keep their saucy acts just this side of scandalous, the ladies of Gilded Lily celebrate feminine beauty, wit, power, sexuality and freedom… never forgetting to keep it smart, keep it funny and keep it HOT!

Space Themed Drinks - By Stoli

Carefully distilled, then filtered four times, Stolichnaya has a smooth and velvety character which has won it loyal fans around the world. Born and bred in Moscow, the drink is part of Russia's heritage. The name is Russian for "of the capital city". Today, Stoli leads the way internationally. Classic Stoli with its red label is the leader of a family of products – with eight flavoured vodkas and the super-premium Stolichnaya Gold.

Press Contact:
Shane Pomajambo, Press Relations
Shane@ArtWhino.com
703.462.4135

YN Houston: 50 Years of Human Space Exploration!

Edit by Brice R.
4/02/2008 | 0 comments

Houston, TX – Only a few weeks remain before the largest space event in the world! On April 12, people around the world will join those at Space Center Houston to celebrate Yuri’s Night!

On April 12, 1961, one lone human, Yuri Gagarin, became the first man to orbit the Earth. The United States launched the first space shuttle on April 12, 1981. This year marks the 50^th anniversary of NASA. As you can see, April 12, 2008, is the perfect day to celebrate the major achievements of human spaceflight!

This year, Yuri’s Night Houston, hosted by the American Astronautical Society, has teamed up with the Bay Area Rally, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and many others to bring a wide-ranging experience to the public. From motorcycles and rockets to the Outlaw Music Festival, there’s something for everyone at Yuri’s Night 2008!

Three main events make up Yuri’s Night Houston: a charity 5K Fun Run, a space day, and a celebration! Everyone in the Houston area is invited!

Starting bright and early, join a fun run at Challenger Park to raise money for the Challenger Center and Permission to Dream. After you take a jog and help those in need, make your way to Space Center Houston for a long day of activities.

Throughout the day, enjoy speakers ranging from Johnson Space Center Director Mike Coats to astronauts talking about space activities. Don’t forget to bring the kids and participate in our educational activities, watch a local rocket club launch model rockets, and enjoy the huge X-Prize banners brought in with the help of United Space Alliance, all while listening to the Outlaw Music Festival. After a day of music, education, and food, relax at Space Center Houston with the music of Texas legend Billy Joe Shaver thanks to the Yuri’s night presenting sponsor, Boeing.

There’s one more thing happening April 12. One lucky person will win a trip to experience microgravity! Jacobs Engineering has sponsored one person, to be chosen by raffle, to ride Zero-G’s G-Force One, a plane that performs flight maneuvers to produce the feeling of weightlessness experienced in space!

Some of you may not be able to attend Yuri’s Night Houston, but relax—Yuri’s Night is not just a Houston event, it’s a world event. More than 100 events will be held in 35 countries! So find an event near you, or if there isn’t one, start one! Each event is hosted by local people, so you could be the first to host a celebration in your area. Celebrating the achievement of spaceflight is about all of humanity, so come and help us celebrate the future!

For more information about Yuri’s Night Houston, please visit www.yurisnighthouston.net or check us out at www.mycityrocks.com and Talk of the Bay on www.wiredin.cc starting March 24. Keep exploring!

-Michael Frostad
Yuri's Night Houston

NASA Centers and Yuri's Night Reach Out to Gen Y Together

Edit by Brice R.
3/28/2008 | 0 comments

On April 13th, 2007, thousands of space devotees flocked to Moffett Field in Mountain View, California as the NASA Ames Research Center became the first major NASA facility to officially sponsor a Yuri's Night event. After the globally-recognized success of YN Bay Area, other NASA facilities and groups are coming up with their own ways to reach out to the oft-young Yuri's Night crowd.

A recent topic of discussion amongst many members and leaders of NASA has been the necessity of reaching out to the next generation of potential space explorers. As the average NASA employee comes closer to retirement, as NASA considers the workforce transition associated with retiring the space shuttle, and as fewer and fewer Americans remember being alive during the Apollo Program--much less being old enough to watch it--it is slowly becoming clear that the future of NASA will lie, in no small part, in the hands of "Generation Y".

Recently a presentation, highlighting trends and values within Generation Y regarding NASA, made its way through the aerospace community to everyone from the NASA administrator to Buzz Aldrin. This presentation is available in Powerpoint format at http://www.opennasa.com/files. Although reactions to the presentation have been mixed, the overall result has led to some positive discussion. NASA has reacted positively to the presentation, embracing it as an opportunity to reach out to younger generations, and Yuri's Night can play a key role in engaging this demographic.

NASA Johnson Space Center has been actively involved in planning and supporting the Houston celebration this year, recently designating Yuri's Night as a 50th Anniversary event. In Greenbelt, Maryland, the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is hosting one of two high-profile Yuri's Night celebrations in the Washington, DC area. Yuri's Night Executive Director Loretta Hidalgo has been working closely with NASA Goddard for several months, and the result is an evening-long dance party with space-themed giveaways, access to NASA Goddard exhibits, and the famous 6-foot-diameter sphere, "the ultimate disco ball".

Ames Research Center, having been delighted with the success of last year's Yuri's Night event, is well on its way to hosting an even bigger and better party in 2008. In addition to the all-star musical lineup and unparalleled list of exhibitions and performances, this year features the all-new Festival of Ideas, an opportunity for visitors to get together, think about the big space issues, and share their ideas about the future of space with NASA.

NASA CoLab, an inter-center collaboration project, held a groundbreaking party in the Second Life virtual world in 2007. Plans for another NASA-affiliated party in Second Life are well on their way--if you can't attend in person, we invite you to check out the online event!

Yuri's Night is still looking for parties in areas near many NASA centers. If you're interested in finding out ways to get your NASA center involved in Yuri's Night 2008, contact loretta@yurisnight.net or brice@yurisnight.net for more information.

Yuri's Night is a program of the Space Generation Advisory Council, an organization dedicated to engaging and developing the next generation of space leaders.

Party Profile: Huntsville, Alabama

Edit by Brice R.
3/16/2008 | 0 comments

It's beginning to seem like wherever people are learning about space, there's going to be a Yuri's Night party nearby. Huntsville, Alabama is no exception. The home of the storied Marshall Space Flight Center, "Rocket City" will be hosting their first Yuri's Night party this April 12th. Co-hosted by the Huntsville Alabama L5 Society, a chapter of the National Space Society, and Huntsville Alive!, Yuri's Night Huntsville will be held at LeeAnn's, on 415 E Church St., starting at 7:30 PM.

Yuri's Night Huntsville will feature space-themed door prizes, live music by rock/country band Boogafunk, and appearances by several special guests, including members of the Dixie Derby Girls, Huntsville's Roller Derby League squad. LeeAnn's is even creating a special drink, the 'Yuritini', for this event, so make sure to stop by and enjoy the festivities.

For more information on Yuri's Night Huntsville, visit http://www.nsschapters.org/al/HAL5/yuri/index.html or email YNHuntsville@yurisnight.net. Facebook users can RSVP for the event at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=8676779265, but no reservation is required.

Yuri's Night is a program of the Space Generation Advisory Council, an organization dedicated to engaging and developing the next generation of space leaders.

Yuri's Night taking advantage of cutting-edge web technology

Edit by Brice R.
3/06/2008 | 0 comments

Yuri's Night, in many ways, is a product of the Internet. The Yuri's Night web site is our center for information, registration, and organization, and we've grown by leaps and bounds in the last several years thanks in part to people sharing our site with their friends, blogs and websites of their own. It is only fitting, then, that as the Internet and its use continue to evolve, Yuri's Night is following right behind it to keep spreading the word about space exploration.

Social-networking site Facebook has grown from a few hundred college students in 2004 to a vast network covering people of all ages across the globe. Tens of millions of people check Facebook each day to read up on their friends, catch the latest news, and be entertained--particularly people from 15-30 years of age, who Yuri's Night is actively attempting to reach out to. Several Facebook groups have been created for Yuri's Night-related parties and events; the flagship group, "Yuri's Night World Space Party", has nearly 500 members. Yuri's Night has also released a "Yuri's Night Countdown" application, which any Facebook member can place on their profile to display an active countdown time and party number. Visit this Facebook page for more information. If you use Facebook, be sure to join the group and add this application!

Yuri's Night is also using other forms of "Web 2.0" and equivalent technology where applicable. The Yuri's Night press page, with a live RSS feed, has links that let you share releases on your Digg, del.icio.us and Reddit profiles--all popular, user-centered ways of sharing interesting news and information. Yuri's Night press releases are also frequently picked up in the Google News news aggregator. Yuri's Night's "Find A Party" page features integration with Google Maps, allowing you to zoom