If You Go
• What: Yuri’s Night celebration of space exploration.
• Where: Pearson Air Museum, 1115 E. Fifth St., Vancouver.
• When: 5 to 9 p.m. April 18.
• Cost: Free.
• On the Web: For more information about the celebration, visit www.yurisnight.net
A celebration of the first man in space will take place Saturday, April 18, at Pearson Air Museum.
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site will be part of the international Yuri’s Night World Space Party. It is a salute to the first person to orbit the Earth: Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who was launched into near Earth orbit 54 years ago, on April 12, 1961. Hundreds of events are organized around the globe.
“There is an interesting historical tie between Yuri Gagarin and Pearson Field,” said Pearson Air Museum Manager Bob Cromwell. “One of the claims to fame of Pearson Field was the 1937 landing of the Soviet Transpolar flight piloted by Valery Chkalov. Gagarin was actually trained as a Soviet air force pilot in the First Chkalov Air Force Pilot’s School in Orenburg in 1957.”
If You Go
• What: Yuri's Night celebration of space exploration.
• Where: Pearson Air Museum, 1115 E. Fifth St., Vancouver.
• When: 5 to 9 p.m. April 18.
• Cost: Free.
• On the Web: For more information about the celebration, visit <a href="http://www.yurisnight.net">www.yurisnight.net</a>
Yuri’s Night events include:
• 5 to 6 p.m.: 2-liter rocket-making lab for youth, ages 8 to 18. The event offers free materials and suggested instructions for children, who will be encouraged to design and build their own water- and air-powered rocket. (Competition at 6 p.m.)
• 5 to 7:30 p.m.: The Oregon L5 Society (a chapter of the National Space Society) will host an informational table with exhibits discussing the future of space exploration.
• 5 to 7:30 p.m.: Portland State University archaeologist Cameron Smith will show his “do it yourself” spacesuit in the Tex Rankin Theater. Smith is attempting to be the first non-state-funded human to reach near-space conditions over 50,000 feet in a self-designed and self-built spacesuit. He intends to go aloft in a balloon to be launched near Goldendale.
• 7:30 to 9:15 p.m.: The 2012 Disney animated film “WALL-E” (rated G) will be shown in the Historic Hangar.
• to 9 p.m.: Ranger-led Sky Tour (weather permitting). Certified star guide and Park Ranger Robert Gutierrez will lead a one-hour walking tour along the Spruce Mill Trail, pointing out stars and lunar features in the sky.
