On April 12th 1961, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin aboard Vostok 1 made history by becoming the first person to orbit the Earth. Exactly twenty years later, the first reuseable spacecraft (Space Shuttle Columbia) made its maiden voyage. These two monumentous events are commemorated annually in Yuri’s Night, which in 2011 celebrates fifty years of human spaceflight. Modern space exploration is a model of international cooperation and collaboration, with scientists from almost every country in the world taking part in satellite experiments and data analysis. It is exactly this kind of joint research that the Science and Innovation Network aims to promote and foster.
Check out yurisnight.net to find a space event near you, or find a copy of First Orbit and make your own!