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Yuri’s Night at NASA’s Goddard Flight Center

April 27, 2009 by Jeff

this post is a teeny bit late but still awesome. read it. – ed
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From Wikipedia:

Yuri’s Night is an international celebration held on April 12 every year to commemorate two separate space exploration milestones. The first milestone was the launch of the first human into space, Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961. The second milestone was the launch of the first Space Shuttle, STS-1, on April 12, 1981. In 2004, people celebrated Yuri’s Night in 34 countries in over 75 individual events. Locations have included Los Angeles, Stockholm, Antarctica, the San Francisco Bay Area, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, and the International Space Station.

The goal of Yuri’s Night is to increase public interest in space exploration and to inspire a new generation of explorers. Driven by space-inspired artistic expression and culminating in a worldwide network of annual celebrations and educational events, Yuri’s Night creates a global community of young people committed to shaping the future of space exploration while developing responsible leaders and innovators with a global perspective. These global events are a showcase for elements of culture that embrace space including music, dance, fashion, and art.

Let’s be honest though, it’s more a chance for people to dress in silly costume’s and party.

Me to Rebekah:  What are you doing tonight?

Rebekah: No plans, why?

Me: Want to go to the Yuri’s Night Party at NASA’s Gossard Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD?  There’s going to be a bunch of nerdy scientists dressing up as Star Wars characters and dancing the night away.

Rebekah:  I’m coming to pick you up right now.

That’s how the night started out.  Dakota refused to come because he had some lame hipster party to shoot.  Or was it Girl Talk?  Either way.  He called me at some point during the party and I said “There are six middle-aged black men dressed as Mace Windu with very real looking light sabers who are killing it on the dance floor right now, I’ve got to go.” 

I am a person who has been known as someone inclined to exaggerate.  In fact, I constantly get shit for once calling Ernest Goes To Camp an ‘amazing’ movie.  BUT I was not exaggerating this time. 

Thank God Dakota gave me his camera to capture the spectacle.  I love nerds.  I love scientists.  I love space.  I love cake.  I love pizza and beer.  I also love Star Wars.  This party was probably the best party in the history of parties in the history of the Universe.  And Middle Distance Runner played, too!

At the end of the night I specifically remember Rebekah stating: “This is the best night of my life!”

There were Storm Troopers, Biker Scouts and Jedi Knights EVERYWHERE.  On the dancefloor, in the hallways, outside, inside, it was like ComicCon without going to San Diego. 

Somebody decided to get them all together for a yearbook type picture.  The awesome thing is that all these dudes are fucking Mechanical Engineers and Nuclear Physicists during the day, but card-carrying Trekkie, Star Wars Freaks by night.  And they all know how to dance better than anybody at Nouveau Riche.

Special thanks to Peroni for the beer.  Sponsor love!  I hope they put this on their website.

Pierre is awesome.  He’s at every event I show up at in DC.  He has no idea that he always shows up on BYT posts.  He just keeps taking pictures, looking like Art Garfunkel, talking in his awesome French Canadian accent and not remembering me, even though we’ve probably met twelve times. 
 

“And the Vader’s Heart Grew Three Sizes That Day”

He really wanted to know where some plans were.

I’m thinking Dune???

This guy was really weird.  Very nice, but I think he wanted to be an Alien a little bit TOO much.  And he really wanted his picture taken.  A lot.

We made up after the choking incident.  Shook over it.  He found his plans.

Even though it’s not real, you feel this weird power when you hold a light saber.  It’s like holding a gun.  You kind of wish it was real so you could cut some particle board in half to impress your friends.  Or you want to pull a George Michael and wave it all around like you’re fighting Darth Maul.

I swear to God that this Biker Scout was full on dancing with a remote controlled R2D2:

Slave Princess Leia from Jabba’s Palace.  Hot.

http://yurisnight.net/

And I will leave you with this video from Revenge of The Nerds.  I really love nerds.  This is one of the best scenes from a movie EVER.  I really do exaggerate.

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