Moo.fx: Super Lightweight Javascript Effects Library

Yuri's Night is an international celebration held on April 12 every year to commemorate the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961, and the first Space Shuttle launch on April 12, 1981. In 2008, people will celebrate together on April 12th in over 40 individual events and 20 countries around the world.  Locations will include Los Angeles, Stockholm, Antarctica, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, Houston and the International Space Station.

The Houston 2008 celebration, hosted by the American Astronautical Society, is shaping up to the largest space celebration in history!  We are celebrating the 50th anniversary of space flight and planning a celebration that will be the first of its kind in Houston.  The Yuri’s Night Houston organization has partnered with the organizers of the Bay Area Motorcycle Rally to throw a celebration that will attract thousands of visitors from around the United States and the World!  In fact, the motorcycle rally is a family friendly event based on a sister event held annually in Ruidoso, NM that attracts more than 35,000 visitors from 32 states.  The inaugural Houston event will include a huge exhibit area, an all day Texas music festival, two VIP areas, a David Beverly Memorial Ride, and a ton of educational events.  This event is supported by the local cities, chambers of commerce, and numerous sponsors.  

Download the 2008 Yuri's Night Press Pack

Have you ever wanted to float weightless like the astronauts, or feel what it's like to walk on the Moon or Mars? Win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fly like astronauts on a the specially modified aircraft, G-FORCE ONE® and experience the exhilaration of weightlessness, which is how astronauts have been trained by NASA for 40 years and how Tom Hanks floated in Apollo 13.

Weightless Flight (also known as Parabolic Flight) is achieved aboard ZERO-G's Boeing 727 aircraft named G-FORCE ONE. Weightlessness is achieved by flying G-FORCE ONE through a parabolic flight maneuver. Specially trained pilots fly these maneuvers between approximately 24,000 and 34,000 feet altitude. Each parabola takes 10 miles of airspace to perform and lasts approximately one minute from start to finish. The maneuver is somewhat like a roller coaster in that the plane is initially pulled up to approximately 45 degrees 'nose high'. Next the plane is 'pushed over' the top to reach the zero-gravity segment of the parabolas. For the next 25 - 30 seconds everything in the plane is weightless. At approximately 30 degrees 'nose low' a gentle pull-out is started which allows the Flyers to stabilize on the aircraft floor. Finally, the g-force is increased smoothly to about 1.8 g's until the aircraft reaches a flight altitude of 24,000 feet. The maneuver is then repeated.

During a Zero Gravity Flight you will experience several partial gravity runs and feel what it is like to walk on Mars and the Moon, or be weightless as in Earth's orbit. The ZERO-G Experience is a half day-long program in which you will be inspired by hearing firsthand what space is like, and officially become Weightless Certified.

Please visit http://www.gozerog.com for more information about the Zero-G Corporation.

How to Win A Flight on Zero-G

Jacobs Engineering is sponsoring a Zero Gravity give-a-way. The winner will recieve one Zero-G flight aboard the G-Force One and $600 credit toward airfare and hotel.

To purchase a raffle ticket for the Jacobs Zero G raffle ticket you can enter here. Entries are $5 each, and there is no limit on the number of tickets you may purchase. Online entries will be accepted through April 10th. The winner will be drawn on April 12th at the Yuri's Night Houston celebration.

*Official rules can be found here.

**Photos of last years Zero-G winner

The fourth annual Yuri's Night 5K Fun Run/Walk will again be held on Saturday, April 12th at Challenger 7 Memorial Park. All proceeds from the race will go to charity, including the Challenger Learning Center and Permission to Dream.

5k Registration :

Race registration for the race will be posted here soon. If you have any questions about the race, please contact us.

Race Day Details :

The course consists of two counter-clockwise loops on both the paved road, paved trails, and unpaved (dirt and grass) trails in Challenger Park. The start and finish line will be next to the parking lot and pavilion. During the first lap, the course turns to go over the top of Memorial Knoll. During the second lap, the course skips this hill.

Download the course map.

Please note that this course is partly a trail run, and sections MAY BE MUDDY if there have been any heavy rains during the week prior to the race. Participants should be prepared to get dirty -- wear old shoes, and clothes that won't mind mud! If the course is muddy enough to be dangerous, the race will be run on a backup course that only travels on the park's paved road and trails.

Challenger Park is located approximately 20 miles southeast of downtown Houston. Take I-45 (Gulf Freeway) to the NASA Road 1 exit and go west for approximately half a mile. Turn left on West NASA Road 1. Challenger Park is located one mile ahead on the left. To get directions from your location, try using YahooMaps

This educational event is open to kids of all ages and will be hosted by the American Astronautical Society at the Space Center Houston on Saturday, April 12th. There will be fun events for the whole family to celebrate space exploration and science education! Here are a few of the events currently planned throughout the day for Space Day 2008:

• ASA Rocket Demonstration & Display
• Astronaut Speakers & Signing
• Aerospace Industry Speakers & Technology Display Booths
• Great Food
• Texas Music Festival
• Major Media Coverage
• Model Rocket Launches
• World Culture Experiences
• Zero-G Experience Raffle
• And Much, Much More!

People in cities around the world are gearing up for the hottest party in 2008--Yuri's Night! Join us in Houston, Texas will throw the largest celebration of human spaceflight in Texas history! This will include a full day of events, including the Texas Outlaw Music Festival, that will ultimately lead into Yuri's Night 2008! Check back here for more information, including the soon to be released line up of bands, and get ready to ROCK THE PLANET!

View photos from last years celebration

Learn more about this History of Yuri's Night

Learn more about the Bay Area Rally

Learn more about the Texas Outlaw Music Festival

Learn more about the Yuri's Night Celebration

Buy Yuri's Night merchandise and apparel

We believe that this event will be a great opportunity for your company to reach an audience and demographic that is not traditionally associated with the aerospace industry.  With only a few months left before the event, we have a limited number of sponsorship opportunities available. 

STEP 1: DOWNLOAD SPONSORSHIP PACK

You can download our Yuri's Night Houston sponsorship package to find about our sponsorship opportunities. The Yuri’s Night Houston team looks forward to working with you and your company to inspire and educate the public in a safe and fun environment.

STEP 2: CONTACT US

If you’d like to become a sponsor of the Yuri’s Night Houston 2008 World Space Celebration please contact Christi Vigneri today.

What's the best way to enjoy Yuri's Night? As a volunteer! If you are interested in joining the planning committee or just volunteering on April 12th at our events, please contact us today! We have a number of volunteer positions open and are seeking help with marketing, sponsorship, volunteer organization, fun run, education exhibits, merchandise, and venue operations. If you’d like to volunteer for the Yuri’s Night Houston 2008 World Space Celebration please contact Chris Nelson at today.