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Television

Torchwood: A Day In The Death

TorchwoodBBC2 premieres the 21st episode of Russell T. Davies’ science fiction series Torchwood, a more adult-themed spinoff of Doctor Who. Freema Agyeman reprises her Doctor Who role as Martha Jones. Richard Briers guest stars. The episode marks the TV writing debut of Joseph Lidster, whose first professionally published Doctor Who-related work had been a script for a Big Finish audio play submitted during a Big Finish “new talent” contest in 2002.

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Curiosity Uncrewed Spaceflight

Curiosity has time to play B-Sides

CuriosityNASA/JPL’s Curiosity Mars rover unexpectedly switches to its “B-Side” backup computer after its primary onboard computer (nicknamed “A-Side”) begins to suffer memory issues. B-Side allows Curiosity to return to normal function after the A-Side issue forces the rover into a low-activity safe mode. NASA identifies the A-Side issue as a problem with its built-in flash memory.

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Deaths Matters of Life & Death Star Trek Television

Leonard Nimoy, actor and director, dies

Leonard NimoyActor Leonard Nimoy, known for nearly half a century as the face and voice of Star Trek‘s Mr. Spock, dies at the age of 83, several days after news reports that he has been rushed to a hospital with severe chest pains. A busy actor and director on stage and screen for most of his career, Nimoy became forever associated with Star Trek, and in turn became the “face” of the unlikely hit show (despite the fact that he wasn’t the show’s nominal star). Nimoy was the only cast member to carry over from the 1964 pilot, The Cage, into the rest of Star Trek in the same role. He directed several movies, including the hit comedy Three Men And A Baby, Star Trek III and Star Trek IV, but turned down an invitation to direct Star Trek: Generations in 1994. At one point, he was attached as director to a 1990s TV movie revival of Doctor Who, though he had to pass on that project as well. Mr. Nimoy had revealed, months before his death, that he was suffering from COPD.

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Crewed Spaceflight SpaceX Dragon

SpaceX shoots for the moon

SpaceX DragonPrivate aerospace company SpaceX announces that a crew of two – not publicly identified by the company – have booked a private circumlunar flight scheduled to take place in 2018 aboard a SpaceX Dragon v2 capsule. The flight will utilize a free-return trajectory to the moon, around its dark side, and back to Earth, without orbiting or landing. At the time of the announcement, Dragon v2 has yet to fly into space, either with or without a crew, and the booster that would be required for this flight, the Falcon Heavy, has yet to be test-flown, either with or without a crew.