theLogBook.com is a chronicle of how we used to imagine the future – an ever-expanding
logbook of what our entertainment, our culture, and even our brightest minds thought would happen.
It’s nostalgia – and some real history – that gives factual context to the fiction, cultural
context to the factual, and always looks to the future.

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Published On: September 29, 2013

CygnusOrbital Sciences’ unmanned Cygnus cargo spacecraft is grappled and docked to the International Space Station via remote manipulator arm. This demonstration model of the Cygnus cargo ship had been launched ten days earlier via Orbital Sciences’ Antares booster from Wallops Island, Virginia. With 1,300 pounds of crew supplies, experiments and other cargo aboard, the Cygnus vehicle is expected to remain attached to the station for a full month before being jettisoned to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.

Published On: September 29, 2011

Tiangong-1China launches its first space station, an “orbital laboratory” called Tiangong-1 (which translates roughly to “heavenly palace”). No manned mission to Tiangong-1 is planned until after ground controllers launch a remote-controlled Shenzhou vehicle, Shenzhou 8, to practice docking maneuvers and remotely sample the atmosphere aboard Tiangong-1’s pressurized area. The first manned visitors to Tiangong-1 won’t lift off until 2012.

Published On: September 29, 2004

SpaceShip OneThe first qualifying flight for the Ansari X Prize becomes a dangerous one for pilot Mike Melvill, as the experimental spacecraft SpaceShip One begins a rapid roll after its rocket engine ignites, sending the vehicle on a twisty trajectory into suborbital space. The vehicle reaches just under Mach 3, and still passes the altitude of 100 kilometers necessary to be considered a space flight (and to be considered a contender for the X Prize), but SpaceShip One must repeat the feat to win the $10,000,000 prize for launching the first privately funded spacecraft.

Published On: September 29, 1997

Buffy The Vampire SlayerThe 15th episode of Joss Whedon’s trend-setting supernatural series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, airs on the WB network. Anthony Stewart Head, David Boreanaz, and Alyson Hannigan also star. Juliet Landau guest stars, and James Marsters makes his first appearance as Spike.

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Published On: September 29, 1992

Peter GabrielPeter Gabriel releases the solo album Us through his own RealWorld label, including the singles “Digging In The Dirt” and “Steam”. The album reflects Gabriel’s past experiences with primal scream therapy. Read more

Published On: September 29, 1990

Dracula: The SeriesThe first episode of Dracula: The Series premieres in syndication in the United States, based very loosely on Bram Stoker’s literary vampire lore, starring Bernard Behrens (NPR’s Star Wars radio series), Geordie Johnson (Largo Winch, Copper), and Mia Kirshner (The L Word, Star Trek: Discovery, Defiance). The series’ half-hour episodes were filmed in Luxembourg.

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Published On: September 29, 1988

DiscoveryThe first Space Shuttle launch in over two years since the Challenger accident, Discovery lifts off on a flight to test improved safety systems and procedures. The shuttle’s major payload is the second TDRS (Tracking & Data Relay Satellite) launched by NASA (an identical satellite was lost in the Challenger explosion in 1986), as well as numerous smaller experiments. Problems with Discovery’s environmental system cause the crew cabin to be warmer than usual. Discovery’s crew for this flight consists of Commander Fred Hauck, Pilot Richard Covey, and mission specialists John Lounge, George Nelson, and David Hilmers.

Published On: September 29, 1986

ALFThe second episode of ALF airs on NBC, centering around Paul Fusco’s puppet creation of a furry, wisecracking alien marooned on Earth. Larry Hankin (Friends, Home Alone) guest stars. Read more

Published On: September 29, 1985

Amazing StoriesThe first episode of Steven Spielberg’s anthology series Amazing Stories airs on NBC. The name of the show is licensed from the publisher of Hugo Gernsback’s science fiction literary magazine, which has been in publication since the 1920s. Many of the episodes come from story sketches by Spielberg, assigned to other writers; this is one of only two to be directed by Spielberg as well. Lukas Haas and Roberts Blossom guest star. Read more

Published On: September 29, 1979

Doctor WhoThe 510th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Co-written by Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy) and producer Graham Williams under a pseudonym, this time-twisting story guest stars Julian Glover, Catherine Schell (Space: 1999) and Tom Chadbon, and features extensive location filming in Paris, a first for the series. Read more

Published On: September 29, 1978

The Incredible HulkThe 14th episode of the live-action series based on Marvel’s comic The Incredible Hulk airs on CBS, starring Bill Bixby, Jack Colvin, and Lou Ferrigno. William Lucking and Lance LeGault (Werewolf) guest star.

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Published On: September 29, 1977

Salyut 6The Soviet Union launches the redesigned Salyut 6 space station, which will remain in service for five years. With six years of experience in building and operating space stations, Soviet space engineers embark on a rethink of station construction, opting for a more modular approach with Salyut 6: the new station has docking ports fore and aft, with additional station modules and automated resupply vehicles already on the drawing board. The dual docking ports also allow for multiple Soyuz capsules to be berthed at Salyut 6, making larger crews possible.

Published On: September 29, 1976

Star MaidensThe fifth episode of the British-German science fiction series Star Maidens premieres on ITV in the UK. Terence Alexander guest stars. (Not all regional ITV affiliates carry the show at a specific time; this episode guide reflects the dates for the broadcast premieres of each episode on Scottish TV.) Read more

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