WMS Celebrates Yuri's Night, Commemorating the First Space Flight

Today (Tuesday, April 12, 2011) marks a special anniversary.

Human space flight leapt from the pages of science-fiction novels and the lofty dreams of man to became a reality 50 years ago this very day. Yuri Gagarin simultaneously climbed into his cramped “Vostok 1” capsule and the pages of history on April 12, 1961. He was launched towards the starry heavens and became the first human to leave the bounds of Earth and reach outer space.

Before his flight he records this message:

Dear friends, known and unknown to me, my dear compatriots and all people of the world. In the next few minutes a mighty spaceship will carry me off into the distance spaces of the universe. What can I say to you during these last minutes before the start? All my life now appears as a single beautiful moment to me.

As you can see from his own words, this great adventure was no certain success. Would humans be able to survive in a weightless environment and perform the necessary tasks to navigate the cosmos? Yuri’s flight proves humans are indeed capable.

He makes one orbit of the globe and is so astonished by the beauty of the Earth from his new vantage point he speaks these words:

I can see Earth... I can see clouds over the land... small, cumulus and the shadows of them... Beautiful!... Beautiful.

Twenty years later, on the same day, a new spacecraft roared to life and blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center towards those same starry heavens. We have come to know this spacecraft as the Space Shuttle. John Young and Bob Crippen bravely rode inside this untested space plane. The mission was a success and the Space Shuttle became the symbol of human space flight and exploration for the next three decades.

How can you celebrate these wonderful achievements?

Students and staff at Whisconier Middle School (WMS) will be celebrating today as part of the worldwide celebration known as Yuri’s Night. Plenty of events are planned throughout the school day. Students will be engaged in space-themed lessons in many classrooms. There are a number of contests, from a LEGO spaceship contest to space trivia. Space-themed prizes will be given away throughout the day as well. It is a fun day of activities where the awareness of human achievements in space exploration are highlighted.

This is the second year WMS has participated in Yuri’s Night (World Space Party). It is spearheaded by Geoff Bergen, the technology and engineering education teacher at WMS. He has been a fan of space flight all of his life and loves to share his enthusiasm with his students and others.

If you aren’t a student at WMS, don’t fret. There are many ways in which you can celebrate this important anniversary. There are greetings available on YouTube from many folks, including the astronauts living aboard the International Space Station. You may also want to watch the new film “First Orbit” on YouTube [attached]. It is a real-time recreation of Yuri’s flight, shot entirely from onboard the ISS combined with original mission audio and a stirring musical score. Experience the beauty of Earth from space as Yuri and nearly 500 others have since his historic flight. 

What is next? What will happen in the next 50 years? Again we are left to imagine as those before that very day did. However, I appreciate these words:

"We have lingered long enough on the shores of the cosmic ocean. We are ready at last to set sail for the stars." — Carl Sagan