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Uncrewed Spaceflight Venera

Venera 4

Venera 1The Soviet Union launches Venera 4, a space probe dispatched to the planet Venus. Venera 4 is equipped with a landing probe which it deposits into the planet’s dense atmosphere in October, and the probe’s findings stun scientists on Earth who had long considered Venus a near-twin of Earth: the atmosphere is predominantly carbon dioxide, with minimal oxygen and a pressure nearly 100 times Earth’s atmospheric pressure at sea level. The temperature within the Venusian atmosphere is found to soar past 800 degrees Fahrenheit, presenting a challenge for designers of the next round of vehicles to visit the planet. The Venera 4 landing probe is not equipped with cameras, and contact is lost with it before contact is made with the ground.

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Science & Technology Weather & Climate

The dawn of Doppler radar

NSSL Doppler RadarThe National Severe Storms Laboratory‘s 10cm Doppler weather radar begins full-time experimental operation in Norman, Oklahoma, just in time for the region’s active severe weather season. A surplus Air Force radar left over from the Distant Early Warning radar network (also known as the DEW Line) is installed and housed in a facility that’s also made of military surplus parts. There is no real-time display at first: researchers and meteorologists store the Doppler radar’s observations on computer tape that has to be processed and printed months after the fact, and compared to archived records from the existing WSR-57 radar at Norman.

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Science & Technology Uncrewed Spaceflight Weather & Climate

Nimbus 6

NimbusNASA launches the Nimbus 6 satellite, designed to observe weather patterns from orbit and test new weather and climate detection technologies. In addition to continuing the microwave and infrared observations carried out by Nimbus 5, Nimbus 6 studies the amount of solar radiation reaching or reflected by Earth, and sends real-time observations to the experimental ATS-6 satellite, allowing NASA to test techniques and technologies that will be used in the shuttle-era TDRS (Tracking & Data Relay Satellite) system.

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Television

King Of The Castle: Episode 6

King Of The CastleThe sixth episode of children’s fantasy series King Of The Castle is broasdcast on HTV. The series is created by Bristol-based writers Bob Baker and Dave Martin (Sky, Doctor Who), and stars Philip Da Costa. Talfryn Thomas (Survivors) and Milton Johns (Doctor Who, The Empire Strikes Back) also star.

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Music

Jeff Lynne: Armchair Theatre

Jeff LynneFormer ELO frontman, producer and songwriter Jeff Lynne releases his first solo album, Armchair Theatre, after several years of producing for other musicians. The album includes the singles “Every Little Thing” and “Lift Me Up”, and takes its name from a 1950s British television anthology series produced by Doctor Who creator Sydney Newman.

More about Jeff Lynne in Music Reviews

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Television

Escape From Jupiter: Christmas

Escape From JupiterThe tenth episode of Escape From Jupiter airs on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Co-produced by ABC and Japanese network NHK, this children’s sci-fi series stars Steve Bisley (Mad Max).

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Deaths Matters of Life & Death

Janet Waldo, actress, dies

PrincessActress Janet Waldo, the voice of Judy Jetson in the 1960s cartoon The Jetsons (as well as its 1980s revival) and the voice of Princess in Battle Of The Planets, dies at the age of 96. Her acting career began in the 1930s, and she was the star of the radio series Meet Corliss Archer in the 1940s and ’50s. She was also the voice of Penelope Pitstop, and Josie of Josie And The Pussycats fames, continuing to voice animated characters, appearing in person occasionally (on such shows as I Love Lucy and The Andy Griffith Show), and guest starred in episodes of the late 1970s radio series Alien Worlds. She worked regularly until 2012.

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Television

The Man Who Fell To Earth: Cracked Actor

The Man Who Fell To EarthShowtime broadcasts the seventh episode of The Man Who Fell To Earth, a series continuation of the 1976 David Bowie film, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Naomie Harris, Bill Nighy, Kate Mulgrew (Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Prodigy), and Jimmi Simpson (Westworld).

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