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Communications Science & Technology Television Uncrewed Spaceflight

Relay 1

Relay 1NASA launches the experimental, RCA-built Relay 1 communications satellite. This is the first satellite to relay television signals from the United States to Japan, including the first word of the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963. In 1964, it’s part of the link bringing television coverage of the 1964 Summer Olympics from Tokyo to the U.S., participating in the first multi-satellite broadcast with Syncom 3. This technological first doesn’t come without some problems, however, and Relay 1 ceases to be operational in early 1965, but remains in orbit for decades.

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Franchises Movies Star Wars

Star Wars greenlit

Star WarsHaving score a minor genre cult classic in THX-1138, and a legitimate mainstream hit with American Graffiti, director George Lucas’ new project, a science fiction film called Star Wars, is formally greenlit by 20th Century Fox, initially with a $7,000,000 budget. The project has been in script development at 20th Century Fox since the summer of 1973, with Universal Studios and United Artists having already passed on it, the later because of the anticipated budget requirements for Lucas’ visions of a sci-fi film on a grand scale. Due largely to being personally championed by Alan Ladd, Jr., president of Fox’s film division, the project still has hurdles to overcome, including numerous threats of the studio shutting it down. Filming will begin in 1976.

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Franchises Television Twilight Zone

Twilight Zone: Episode 12

The Twilight ZoneCBS airs the 12th episode of a revival of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone. Gary Cole (Crusade), Sherman Hemsley (The Jeffersons), and Ron Glass (Firefly, Barney Miller) star in an episode comprised of two short stories, including an adaptation of Joe Haldeman’s short story I Of Newton.

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Television

Misfits Of Science: Twin Engines

Misfits Of ScienceThe ninth episode of James D. Parriott’s lighthearted sci-fi series, Misfits Of Science, airs on NBC, starring Dean Paul Martin, Kevin Peter Hall, and Courteney Cox. Joel Polis (The Thing) guest stars. Story credit (but not script credit) for this episode is given to 28-year-old Tim Kring, the future creature of the 21st century superhero series Heroes.

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Television

The Flash: Ghost In The Machine

The FlashThe ninth episode of the superhero series The Flash, based on the DC Comics character, airs on CBS, starring John Wesley Shipp and Amanda Pays. Ian Abercrombie (Birds Of Prey) guest stars.

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Movies

Star Trek: Nemesis

Star Trek NemesisStar Trek: Nemesis, the fourth and final feature film of the Star Trek: The Next Generation movie franchise, premieres. Directed by Stuart Baird and co-written by Brent “Data” Spiner, Nemesis falls flat at the box office (and even before its opening day, Paramount is already promoting it as the last voyage of the Star Trek: TNG cast). The next movie in the franchise takes a radically different approach to the Star Trek universe.

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Uncrewed Spaceflight

Chang’e 2 scans an asteroid

Asteroid 4179 ToutatisOriginally launched by China to orbit the moon in 2010, and later parked at a LaGrange point beyond the moon’s orbit, the unmanned Chang’e 2 space probe flies by asteroid 4179 Toutatis at a distance of under two miles, capturing the first close-up images of the asteroid as it passes Earth almost half a million miles away. Though 4179 Toutatis has been imaged by ground-based radar on several occasions during its semi-frequent visits to the inner solar system, this is the first space probe to visit it at close range. As of this encounter, Chang’e 2 is the most distant Chinese spacecraft from Earth.

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Star Wars Television

The Mandalorian: Chapter 6

The MandalorianStreaming service Disney+ premieres the the sixth episode of Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian, the first live-action TV series set in the Star Wars universe, starring Pedro Pascal. Mark Boone Jr. (Sons Of Anarchy), Bill Burr (Breaking Bad), Clancy Brown (Highlander, Earth 2), Natalia Tena (the Harry Potter films, Game Of Thrones), and Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd, Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace) guest star.

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