World Space Party at NASA Goddard Celebrates Unparalled Achievements in Space
GREENBELT, Md. – NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD has teamed with nonprofit Space Generation Advisory Council to host a world space party on Saturday, April 4, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. to celebrate humanity’s achievements in space and NASA Goddard’s 50th Anniversary. The party, Yuri’s Night DC, will be held at the Goddard Visitor Center and attendees will celebrate in a club atmosphere with a future-tech twist.
Yuri’s Night DC will feature regional music stars, Middle Distance Runner, who will deploy multi-layered, indie-pop sounds through exploded views of galaxies and NASA exhibits. Beats infused by DJ Scientific will twist on a galactic dance floor, spin through a garden of rockets, and pivot near a tree planted by the Queen of England.
Duff Goldman and his imaginative staff at Charm City Cakes in Baltimore, Md. will construct a spectacular creation for Goddard’s Yuri’s Night. The cake will creatively spotlight the Hubble Space Telescope, the space-based observatory that has revolutionized astronomy.
Galactic attire is encouraged at Yuri’s Night and a series of activities are guaranteed to entertain. Beer, wine, and refreshments will be available for purchase.
Event goers must be at least 21 years old and a government issued ID is required for admittance. Tickets are $10 in advance, http://dc.yurisnight.net/, and $20 at the door.
Participants are encouraged to use Yuri’s Night DC’s free shuttle services provided from the Greenbelt Metro. Parking is available onsite at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, see http://dc.yurisnight.net for directions to the special south gate entrance.
Yuri’s Night is a worldwide celebration of the anniversary of mankind’s first foray into space and the first flight of the space shuttle. Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space on April 12, 1961. Exactly 20 years later, NASA launched space shuttle Columbia on mission STS-1.
More than 118 Yuri’s Night parties have been planned in 35 countries to date. Other NASA centers hosting Yuri’s Night celebrations this year are Johnson Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, and Langley Research Center.
NASA Goddard’s Yuri’s Night will not only celebrate manned spaceflight, but also mark Goddard’s 50th Anniversary. Special activities will highlight several of the Center’s missions. Yuri’s Night DC participants will also have the opportunity to gaze at the stars, as the event occurs during the worldwide event, 100 Hours of Astronomy, which strives to have as many people as possible look through a telescope as Galileo did for the first time 400 years ago.
NASA Goddard’s Yuri’s Night occurs between two days of family-friendly, hands-on activities for elementary school students and their families. Participants will be encouraged to explore and discover the universe at the Goddard Visitor Center on Saturday, April 4 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday, April 5 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The organizations supporting Goddard’s Yuri’s Night include Space Generation Advisory Council, Honeywell, Miller-Coors, The Tauri Group, and Lockheed Martin Corporation.
Space Generation Advisory Council is a network of young people committed to using space to make a difference in the world. Founded in 1999, the nonprofit organization is a vast global community of leaders passionate about space. Space Generation’s compelling projects, such as Yuri’s Night, engage the public in a discussion of the role of space in the sustainability of the planet and in exploring space responsibly and attract new people to their network of active space explorers.
Media interested in attending NASA Goddard’s Yuri’s Night should contact Amy Pruett at 301-286-7646, Amy.E.Pruett@nasa.gov.
Additional Yuri’s Night DC information can be found at:
For details on the 100 Hours of Astronomy daytime family activities, go to:
