Organizer
About.
The concept of Yuri’s Night was first conceived by Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides, George T. Whitesides, and Trish Garner during the Space Generation Forum at the UNISPACE III conference in 1999. The Vienna Declaration after UNISPACE III set up a new World Space Week “between 4 and 10 October for the yearly celebration at the international level.” This event was timed to commemorated the launch of Sputnik 1 on Oct 4 and the signing of the UN Outer Space Treaty on Oct 10. Wishing to specifically celebrate the human aspects of spaceflight, George and Loretta moved ahead with planning for the first Yuri’s Night event on April 12: a dual anniversary of human spaceflight achievements. In 2000, Yuri’s Night was announced as an event in LA scheduled for April 12, 2001. Friends and colleagues, including those from the Space Generation Forum, asked to host their own celebrations around the world at the same time. The World Space Party was born and continues to rock the planet today!
From 2001 until 2010, Yuri’s Night was a project of the Space Generation Advisory Council and run under the non-profit Space Generation Foundation in the United States. In 2010 Yuri’s Night became an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the United States. As of 2022, the name of the nonprofit is changing to The SpaceKind Foundation to better reflect the variety of programs and projects being supported. The Yuri’s Night name and branding will continue to be used for global outreach events.
Mission.
The mission of The SpaceKind Foundation is to use the excitement and inspiration of space as a catalyst for educating and developing the next generation of explorers. We fulfill this mission through a commitment to:
- empowering leaders: in making a difference, pursuing their dreams, and inspiring others to do the same.
- building communities: working shoulder to shoulder on visionary projects, overcoming barriers and finding common ground.
- bridging cultures: be they geographic, social or technical, we are all learning to speak each other’s languages.
- encouraging science literacy: bringing people hands-on experiences and passionate storytelling to explore their physical world and nurture their love of learning.
- promoting a sustainable and peaceful future: sharing “the Overview Effect” with all people, inspiring them to take ownership of our home planet and the future of humanity.
Venue
Delaware North Operates the Visitor Complex as a NASA Contractor
As a NASA contractor, we take great pride in operating the visitor complex providing hospitality services for Kennedy Space Center. From operating the Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour to serving lunch at the Moon Rock Cafe, our goal is to provide stewardship and hospitality in special places dedicated to creating memorable guest experiences as unique as the destination. The visitor complex is completely funded by visitor-generated revenue and no U.S. tax dollars are used to provide visitor access to the historic birthplace of American spaceflight. As a Smithsonian Affiliate, we offer the chance to view artifacts of NASA’s Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle Programs in the context of exhibits and attractions that tell the NASA story.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is registered with the State of Florida as a Seller of Travel Registration Ref No. ST32934.
The places Delaware North operates, including hotels, resorts, cultural attractions and parks, make countless memories for millions of guests each and every year. We strive to bring rare attention to detail at every property in our care, and for each and every individual we serve.
“Delaware North” is a reference to Delaware North Companies, Incorporated and its affiliates and subsidiaries, including without limitation Delaware North Companies, Inc. – Boston, Delaware North Companies Gaming & Entertainment, Inc., Delaware North Companies International, Ltd., Delaware North Companies Landmark Holdings, LLC, Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, Inc., Delaware North Companies Sportservice, Inc., Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services, Inc., Delaware North Companies (UK) Limited, as well as numerous location-specific operating subsidiaries and affiliates. References to “Delaware North” or we, us, and ours are used to generally describe the operations and functions of the subsidiaries and affiliates of Delaware North Companies, Incorporated.