Battlestar Galactica: Lay Down Your Burdens – Part 2

Battlestar GalacticaSci-Fi channel airs the 33rd episode of Ronald D. Moore’s re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica. Dean Stockwell (Quantum Leap) guest stars. This episode concludes the show’s second season. Read more

Ghostbusters (expanded soundtrack)

GhostbustersVarese Sarabande releases a CD containing Elmer Bernstein‘s complete soundtrack from the movie Ghostbusters. Though an album was released with the movie in 1984, it consisted mostly of songs; this marks the first issue of Bernstein’s score, including pieces of music left out of the movie. The limited edition of 3,000 copies sells out quickly. Read more

Soyuz TMA-8 / ISS Expedition 13

Soyuz TMA-8The thirteenth full-time crew of the International Space Station lifts off from Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard Soyuz TMA-8. Pavel Vinogradov and Jeffrey Williams take up residence on the ISS for 182 days; during their stay, the ISS crew expands to three with the arrival of Thomas Reiter aboard space shuttle Discovery, marking the remaining shuttle fleet’s temporary return to service. Arriving with them on the ISS for a nine-day stay is Brazilian astronaut Marcos Pontes, who returns to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-7 with the Expedition 12 crew.

Venus Express arrives

VenusThe European Space Agency’s Venus Express space probe – the first unmanned spacecraft to closely examine the second planet from the sun since the late 1970s – arrives at the planet to undertake a detailed study of the atmosphere, the unusually symmetrical cloud patterns of the planet’s north and south hemispheres, as well as observing the massive, hurricane-like vortices which remain over the poles. Venus Express also looks for the source of traces of sulphur dioxide in the Venusian atmosphere, which could be a sign that of active volcanoes on the surface.

Abrams to be new Trek moviemaker

Star TrekEntertainment industry newspaper Daily Variety reports that J.J. Abrams, creator of Lost and Alias, and director/producer of Paramount’s heavily-promoted Mission: Impossible III, has signed a deal to produce and direct the eleventh Star Trek film, which has suddenly moved from “off the schedule” (following the cooling of the studio’s attitude toward the Trek franchise in the wake of the Star Trek: Enterprise cancellation) to a 2008 release date. Fellow Lost producers Bryan Burk and Damon Lindelof are also signed on as producers of the still-untitled movie, which is said to focus on the first mission for a young James T. Kirk and Spock. Mission: Impossible III (and former Xena/Hercules) writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman are on board as scriptwriters.

Doctor Who: School Reunion

Doctor WhoThe 715th episode of Doctor Who (the 17th since the series’ revival) airs on BBC1. Elisabeth Sladen reprises her classic series role of Sarah Jane Smith, the first non-enemy character from the original series to appear in the current series. John Leeson guest stars as the voice of K-9; Anthony Stewart Head (Buffy: The Vampire Slayer) also appears. Read more Hear about it on the Sci-Fi 5 podcast