[Moonbase-discuss] Re: Moonbase-discuss: "Yuri's Night"
JonAlexandr@aol.com
JonAlexandr@aol.com
Sat, 16 Mar 2002 14:48:50 EST
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In a message dated 3/15/2002 12:01:17 PM Pacific Standard Time,
moonbase-discuss-request@themoonbase.org forwards:
> Yuri's
> Night is the largest global grassroots celebration of human space
> exploration. On April 12, space enthusiasts from around the planet
> will join party-goers in San Francisco at ORBIT.
I think "Yuri's Night" is a great idea, and not only because it refers to my
birth name, "Yuri." But why is there no mention of the more than two
decades of pro-space activities that have surrounded July 20? Can the
statement "largest global grassroots celebration of human space exploration"
be assigned to "Yuri's Night" without footnotes, references or other modes of
substantiation? (I was a key coordinator of several San Francisco Bay Area
space events surrounding July 20 in 1980, 1981, and 1982 involving music
concerts, lectures and artshows. I'm sure that thousands of people were
involved, though I can now offer only anecdotal evidence.)
Anyway, it can be argued that Yuri Gagarin's flight into space was a stunt,
whereas the first human landing on the Moon was a concerted effort to show
the possibilities of a multiplanet species (by some of those involved, at
least). Which date is more symbolically important -- July 20 or April 12?
July 20 marks the anniversary of the first human Moon landing -- and the
first successful soft landing of a probe on Mars. April 12 marks the first
human orbit of Earth -- and the first launch of a partially reusable space
vehicle. Which is more relevant to the future of life on Earth? Which date
will be most fondly remembered a thousand years from now? What, in fact, was
dreamed of in the millennia before -- going into space or going to the Moon?
What was the 'pull'?
I think that going to the Moon showed a multifaceted mastery of skills needed
for survival in the new environment of space. Going into orbit was like a
fish jumping out of water. In evolutionary terms, I think that the former is
much more important, both symbolically and practically.
--Jon Alexandr (aka "Yuri")
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<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT COLOR="#0000a0" SIZE=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"><I>In a message dated 3/15/2002 12:01:17 PM Pacific Standard Time, moonbase-discuss-request@themoonbase.org forwards:<BR>
<BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"></I><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Yuri's <BR>
Night is the largest global grassroots celebration of human space <BR>
exploration. On April 12, space enthusiasts from around the planet <BR>
will join party-goers in San Francisco at ORBIT.</BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR="#0000a0" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"><I><BR>
I think "Yuri's Night" is a great idea, and not only because it refers to my birth name, "Yuri." But why is there no mention of the more than two decades of pro-space activities that have surrounded July 20? Can the statement "largest global grassroots celebration of human space exploration" be assigned to "Yuri's Night" without footnotes, references or other modes of substantiation? (I was a key coordinator of several San Francisco Bay Area space events surrounding July 20 in 1980, 1981, and 1982 involving music concerts, lectures and artshows. I'm sure that thousands of people were involved, though I can now offer only anecdotal evidence.)<BR>
<BR>
Anyway, it can be argued that Yuri Gagarin's flight into space was a stunt, whereas the first human landing on the Moon was a concerted effort to show the possibilities of a multiplanet species (by some of those involved, at least). Which date is more symbolically important -- July 20 or April 12? July 20 marks the anniversary of the first human Moon landing -- and the first successful soft landing of a probe on Mars. April 12 marks the first human orbit of Earth -- and the first launch of a partially reusable space vehicle. Which is more relevant to the future of life on Earth? Which date will be most fondly remembered a thousand years from now? What, in fact, was dreamed of in the millennia before -- going into space or going to the Moon? What was the 'pull'?<BR>
<BR>
I think that going to the Moon showed a multifaceted mastery of skills needed for survival in the new environment of space. Going into orbit was like a fish jumping out of water. In evolutionary terms, I think that the former is much more important, both symbolically and practically.<BR>
<BR>
--Jon Alexandr (aka "Yuri")</I></FONT></HTML>
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