A conference on the space industry, decided to erase the name of the famous Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human to travel into space.
The Space Foundation announced it will change the name of the fundraising event from "Yuri's Night" to "A Celebration of Space: Discover What's Next". This decision was taken in connection with the conflict situation between Russia and Ukraine.
"The focus of this fundraising event remains the same, to celebrate human achievements in space while inspiring the next generation to reach for the stars," the Space Foundation said in a statement.
Initially, the name Yuri was used in honor of the cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. Every year, the Space Foundation holds a fundraising event called Yuri's Night. But this year, regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, everything that smells of Russia is removed.
Although nothing can change history that Yuri Gagarin was the first human to travel into space. Some of the public denounced this decision as ridiculous.
This is the first time geopolitics on Earth has affected the outer world. During this time, cooperation in the field of space between the United States, Russia, and other countries has resulted in international unity and various scientific studies for decades.
The ongoing Russo-Ukrainian conflict has created a serious rift between Russia and Western countries. Initially, US space agency NASA and European space agency ESA hoped to maintain their collaboration with Roscosmos and remained optimistic that operations on the space station could proceed as usual. However, the escalation of hostilities has put the entire space research project on the ISS and its future in doubt.