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Astronomy Science & Technology Uncrewed Spaceflight

Orbiting Astronomical Observatory

OAO-1NASA launches its first space-based telescope, the unmanned Orbiting Astronomical Observatory satellite, into Earth orbit. Weighing nearly two tons and sporting visible, ultraviolet, X-ray and gamma ray astronomy capabilities, OAO is in trouble mere minutes after it goes into service: a serious electrical failure leaves the spacecraft in a blind tumble, and it will be declared a loss three days after launch. NASA will attempt another OAO launch in 1968.

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Science & Technology Uncrewed Spaceflight Weather & Climate

Nimbus 4

NimbusNASA launches the Nimbus 4 satellite, designed to observe weather patterns from orbit and test new weather and climate detection technologies. Nimbus 4 is among the first satellites to test what will become known as global positioning system technology, capable of pinpointing ground-based targets with special equipment. The satellite begins to experience intermittent attitude control problems in 1971, but remains in at least partial service through 1980.

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Television

Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Congo, January 1917

Young Indiana Jones ChroniclesThe sixth episode of George Lucas’ historical adventure series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles airs on ABC, starring Sean Patrick Flanery. Bryan Pringle (Brazil) and Friedrich von Thun (Schindler’s List) guest stars in the finale of the abbreviated first season. Already a hit with critics, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles won’t be seen again until September, at which point it will be a heavily-promoted part of ABC’s fall season.

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Television

Quantum Leap: Moments To Live

Quantum LeapNBC airs the 71st episode of Donald Bellisario’s science fiction series Quantum Leap, starring Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell. Kathnleen Wilhoite (Pepper Ann, Gilmore Girls) guest stars.

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Crewed Spaceflight Discovery Space Shuttle

STS-56

STS-56Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off with the ATLAS-2 scientific payload for a nine-day mission. A free-floating platform to measure solar wind activity is also deployed and then retrieved before returning to Earth. Aboard Discovery for her 16th flight are Commander Kenneth Cameron, Pilot Stephen Oswald, and mission specialists Michael Foale, Kenneth Cockrell and Ellen Ochoa.

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Television X-Files

The X-Files: Three Words

The X-FilesThe 177th episode of Chris Carter’s modern-day science fiction series The X-Files airs on Fox, starring Gillian Anderson and Robert Patrick. David Duchovny appears as Agent Mulder; Judson Scott (Star Trek II, The Phoenix) guest stars.

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Atlantis Crewed Spaceflight International Space Station Space Shuttle

STS-110: giving ISS its backbone

Space ShuttleSpace Shuttle Atlantis lifts off on the 109th shuttle flight, an 11-day mission to add the integrated truss “backbone” to the International Space Station. In addition to assembling and attaching this major part of the station, a mobile transport is added for the station’s remote manipulator arm, allowing the arm to roll from one end of the station to the other for whatever functions may be required. Aboard Atlantis for her 25th flight are Commander Michael Bloomfield, Pilot Stephen Frick, and mission specialists Jerry Ross, Steven Smith, Ellen Ochoa, Lee Morin and Rex Walheim.

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Music

Electric Light Orchestra II / The Lost Planet

The Lost PlanetEMI Records releases a UK-only remastered, expanded edition of the second Electric Light Orchestra album, Electric Light Orchestra II, featuring a bonus CD bearing the 1972 album’s unused work-in-progress title, The Lost Planet. The bonus disc includes numerous previously unissued songs, including demos from a session to test out prospective new lead singers before Jeff Lynne took that mantle as well, following the departure of co-founder Roy Wood. Though a remastered Electric Light Orchestra II is later issued in North America, it does not include the second disc or its contents.

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Television

The Clone Wars: Chapter 20

Clone WarsBridging the gap between Star Wars Episode II and Episode III, Cartoon Network premieres the 20th mini-episode of Genndy Tartakovsky’s The Clone Wars animated shorts. The Clone Wars shorts return – in a slightly less short format – in the spring of 2005, running up to the theatrical release of Episode III; on DVD, this is also the end of Volume One. This installment marks the first appearance of General Grievous.

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Mars Exploration Rovers Uncrewed Spaceflight

Mars Rovers’ mission extended

OpportunityNASA announces that the Spirit rover has exceeded its mission goals of 90 continuous Martian days of operation since landing, with over 600 meters of the Martian surface covered. NASA applies for, and receives approval on, a plan to keep Spirit and Opportunity roving through September, almost tripling the rovers’ planned life span. The extended mission, made possible by a budget boost of $15 million, will give engineers the chance to try handing control over to the Rovers’ built-in systems, and it’ll afford a greater opportunity to examine the unusual rocks and evidence of past bodies of water on the Martian surface.

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Crewed Spaceflight International Space Station Soyuz

Soyuz TMA-12 / ISS Expedition 17

Soyuz TMA-12The seventeenth full-time crew of the International Space Station lifts off from Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard Soyuz TMA-12. Sergei Volkov and Oleg Kononenko take up residence on the ISS for 199 days. Arriving with them on the ISS for a ten-day stay is South Korean astronaut Yi So-Yeon, who returns to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-11 with the Expedition 16 crew.

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Crewed Spaceflight International Space Station

Dragon CRS-8

Dragon CRS-8 landingSpaceX launches the unmanned Dragon CRS-8 (Commercial Resupply Mission 8) to the International Space Station, carrying supplies and experiments, as well as delivering via its cargo trunk the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), the first new addition to the ISS since 2011. The flight is a success, and for the first time, the Falcon 9 first stage returns intact to an unmanned drone barge in the Atlantic Ocean, where it can be refurbished and reused. Though SpaceX has previously brought an intact booster down on dry land, this is the first success in several attempts to recover the spent first stage at sea.