USA: YURI’S NIGHT LOS ANGELES 2019
YURI’S NIGHT 2019 – CALIFORNIA SCIENCE CENTER
Yuri’s Night is a global celebration of humanity’s past, present, and future in space. Yuri’s Night parties and events are held around the world every April in commemoration of Yuri Gagarin becoming the first human to venture into space on April 12, 1961, and the inaugural launch of the first Space Shuttle on April 12, 1981. Yuri’s Night events combine space-themed partying with education and outreach.
These events can range from an all-night mix of techno and technology at a NASA Center, to a movie showing and stargazing at your local college, to a gathering of friends at a bar or barbecue.
In 2011, the 50th anniversary of human spaceflight, over 100,000 people attended 567 officially-recognized events in 75 countries on all 7 continents, while tens of thousands more watched the 12-hour live Yuri’s Night Global Webcast and participated online in the virtual world of Second Life.
GIANT SPACE HOT ROD & THE MARS ROVER
COURTYARD & ENTRY
“BACK TO THE FUTURE” DELOREAN TIME MACHINE MAKES AN APPEARANCE
SPACE CAPSULES
STAR WARS FANS – MOURN THE DEATH OF THE FRANCHISE – 1975-2018
YouTube Sensation – JP of EGOTASTIC FUNTIME – I found out about Yuri’s Night on his channel and ran into him here just before Rod Roddenberry’s Underwater Q&A. JP specializes in Star Trek, the Orville and other science fiction entertainment reviews. His channel is humorous and even-tempered which is a relief in these polarized times.
Rod Roddenberry’s Q&A in the Cosmic Aquarium and Kelp Forest
Roddenberry is friends with Philippe Cousteau and has a total of 1000 dives since 1993, and yet when pressed about the conditions in the oceans, he yammered on briefly about a couple of plastic bags that drifted past him on one of his dives.
Granted plastic is a serious problem, but his couple of bags story doesn’t begin to address it. Never mind that he neglected the fact that reefs are dead and/or dying all over the world at an alarming rate. The Great Barrier Reef, which he also mentioned in his Q&A remarks, is half dead due to two major bleaching events which occurred only two years apart. He completely neglected to mention this dire fact.
Instead, he shared some magical experiences and compared diving to being in space which I have done extensively. So did Arthur C. Clarke, and Buzz Aldrin who initiated the underwater training, space-simulation programs to prepare astronauts for working in zero gravity.
kkmjj-Unfortunately, Roddenberry’s comments were zero gravity. Where his Dad’s responses would have had depth, his comments were rote and superficial. At this point, I determined that posing a thoughtful question would be a complete waste of time, but I was happy that JP piped up and asked Rod about the Orville. After all of his Star Trek Discovery brown nosing, Rod had the nerve to put down the comedic aspect of the Orville’s first season even though STD ripped off Seth’s idea just this year.
Roddenberry has to realize that STD is an abomination even though he is the executive producer. He must be aware that it is antithetical to his father’s creation to its very core. He has clearly sold out and seems to be trying to stay in the good graces of the people who will use him for his name as long as he toes the line. It will keep the dollars rolling in, regardless of pissing on his father’s legacy. What do you expect from a kid who didn’t watch his father’s Star Trek Opus until the age of seventeen after his dad had snuffed it?
Why he is turning his back on the oceans, I don’t know. He must be afraid of the oil companies. He claims to be a steward of the ocean and of Trek. Given the destruction of his father’s legacy, I am not impressed.
All I know is that based on his words and participation in Star Trek Discovery he seems like a bit of a reality-avoiding coward, and that’s why I didn’t seek him out later that evening. At least Bill Nye spoke truth to power during his presentation, and Story Musgrave was one of those old timers with the “Right Stuff” who was the only human to fly on all six shuttles.
I had an enjoyable evening after I got away from Rod’s Kelp Forest. It seems like plastic isn’t the only thing polluting the underwater environment. I should imagine that they needed to give the kelp tank’s filters a serious cleaning after Rod’s effluential interview. It’s quite ironic given the many kelp dives I’ve enjoyed, that I should find a kelp forest so distasteful to me. It was very confusing that there were many of my friends swimming about with a diver bearing the name of the creator of my favorite show. It should have been a truly euphoric experience. Instead, I was feeling a little disoriented and nauseous after the proceedings.
Looking back on this, I should have grabbed the mic and given him a piece of my mind. I suppose I can always send him an email through the Roddenberry Dive Team.
Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Pavilion – This museum is the final resting place of the Space Shuttle Endeavor.
THE SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOR HOVERS OVER YURI’S NIGHT PARTICIPANTS AS WE AWAIT THE SPEAKERS
THE NOSE
PERMANENTLY PARKED
ENDEAVOR ABSTRACT
YURI ALEKSEYEVICH GAGARIN – Story Musgrave pays tribute to the cosmonaut who started it all and from whom the evening derives its name. Unfortunately, the Australian emcee mispronounced Gagarin’s last name and made it sound Armenian, but of course, Story got it right.
Story Musgrave points to the Endeavor as it makes its final journey to Los Angeles. He is the only human being to have flown on all six space shuttles.
PLANETARY SOCIETY
BILL NYE – THE SCIENCE GUY
MARK “FORGER” STUCKY – VIRGIN GALACTIC’S FIRST PILOT ASTRONAUT
TIM RUSS – “TUVOK” FROM STAR TREK VOYAGER
I JUST VISITED THESE BEHEMOTHS IN THEIR NATURAL HABITATj
TRAVEL ZEALOT HEAT SIGNATURE SELF-PORTRAIT
SILENT DISCO – Partygoers sporting headsets playing DJ Music next to the Kelp Tank enjoy the Silent Disco.
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