These days, it seems no one is safe from cancel culture, not even the long-dead heroes of the 1960s space race.

Space News reported that Space Foundation had announced in a now-deleted note that “in light of current world events” it would change the name of its fundraising event from “Yuri’s Night” to “A Celebration of Space: Discover What’s Next.” The annual event is to be held at its April Space Symposium conference in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Space Foundation describes itself as “a nonprofit advocate organization founded in 1983, offering a gateway to education, information and collaboration for space exploration and space-inspired industries that define the global space ecosystem.” Apparently, its information and advocacy ridiculously only extend so far as what’s acceptable in the present-day politically-charged atmosphere. That’s a curious restrictive political stance for a nonprofit to take considering its supposedly apolitical goal to be educational and informational.

For the record, according to Space Foundation’s own website (that has yet to be scrubbed), “Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin, known all around the globe as Yuri Gagarin, was a Soviet cosmonaut, and the man who achieved what was at the time the biggest milestone in the Space Race: the first human to explore outer space.” Did you notice that? Gagarin was a Soviet citizen, not a Russian. Why then does it appear that Space Foundation decided to cancel him in support of Ukraine (and, in turn, in opposition to the Russian invasion)?

As a pre-teen child in German-occupied Soviet territory, Gagarin “became a saboteur, carrying out small but effective interference work such as mixing chemicals meant for maintenance of the Nazi tanks” and working on a farm until “the Germans were finally routed out of Klushino by The Red Army on Yuri’s tenth birthday, March 9, 1944.” Does that sound like someone on the wrong side of history “in light of current world events”? Since when aren’t we for defeating Nazis?

As a young pilot, Gargarin spent 108 minutes orbiting Earth and became a national hero because of it. His “experience during the space journey served as the basis for studies aimed at increasing the length of space exploration, its safety, and its effects on humans, as well as being the first stepping stone into what today’s space programs are capable of achieving.” Does that sound like someone who should be erased? Since when does it make sense to memory-hole a historic pioneer of the basis for today’s exploration and innovation based on the politics of today?

Space Foundation’s tiresome act of, dare I say it, virtue-signaling by redacting the renowned Soviet cosmonaut’s name and effectively stripping Gagarin’s achievements from the existing discourse of space exploration will do nothing to further any kind of cooperative discovery within “the global space ecosystem.” Nor will this act encourage peace with the invading Russians or help to defend Ukrainians in any substantial way. Let’s hope Space Foundation rethinks this political stance and goes back to advocating for space education and true and complete information.

PJ Media attempted to contact Space Foundation for comment but did not receive a response before publication time.

Source: PJ Media

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Shelly Webb
Shelly Webb
2 years ago

Bravo author!! 👏 I echo you completely!! Please do a follow up on this article. This political non profit science org needs to be shamed for this. Their actions are 100% racist & I’m disgusted with them.

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