Wally Schirra, Mercury astronaut, dies

Wally SchirraAstronaut Wally Schirra, one of the seven original Mercury astronauts, and the only astronaut to lift off aboard Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions, dies at the age of 84. Selected as one of the first “class” of American astronauts, Schirra was the fifth American to fly in space, making six orbits of the Earth in 1962. He commanded Gemini 6, and was the commander of Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, which tested the capabilities of the redesigned Apollo command/service module in Earth orbit. In 1969, he retired from NASA and immediately landed a new gig, sitting aside TV news legend Walter Cronkite for coverage of the missions to the moon, as well as continuing to offer insider commentary on space coverage at CBS through 1975. He was awarded numerous medals by both NASA and the United States Navy, among countless other honors.

Lost: Through The Looking Glass

LostABC airs the 69th episode of the J.J. Abrams-produced series Lost, ending the show’s third season. Mira Furlan (Babylon 5), Andrew Divoff, and Nestor Carbonell guest star in a season finale that turns the series’ long-established format on its ear by introducing flash-forwards to a time when the characters have already escaped the island. Read more

STS-117

Space ShuttleSpace Shuttle Atlantis lifts off the 118th shuttle flight, on a two-week mission to resupply and continue assembly of the International Space Station. Two major structural trusses and two large solar power arrays are delivered and installed, and a damaged array is removed. Aboard Atlantis for her 28th flight are Commander Rick Sturckow, Pilot Lee Archambault, and mission specialists Patrick Forrester, Danny Olivas, Clayton Anderson, Jim Reilly and Steven Swanson. Anderson remains on the station, joining the crew of ISS Expedition 15.

Doctor Who: Blink

Doctor WhoThe 736th episode of Doctor Who (the 38th since the series’ revival) airs on BBC1. Though it is this season’s “Doctor lite” story – featuring minimal appearances from David Tennant and Freema Agyeman – Blink proves to be hugely popular, thanks in no small part to the most popular enemy that the new series has produced to date, the Weeping Angels, making their first appearance here. Blink goes on to win a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short-Form). Read more