Mittens required on Pluto
Scientists are already aware that Pluto is really cold, but recent observations suggest that it’s even colder than they had imagined. New radio telescope measurements of Pluto’s surface indicate that it’s a brisk -382 degrees Fahrenheit (scientists had earlier estimated a positively summery -364). Part of the reason for the slight chill in the air – if indeed there was any there – is that Pluto is on the outbound train. The tiny planet’s highly inclined orbit isn’t centered around the sun, while the solar system’s other worlds are more or less centered; part of Pluto’s orbit carries it further away from the sun and “under” the plane shared by the other planets. Curiously enough, however, the surface of Charon – Pluto’s nearly-identical-twin moon – is determined to be warmer than Pluto itself. The readings are taken by the Submillimeter Array in Hawaii by astronomers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
Spirit lands on Mars
The first of two new American Mars rovers lands successfully on the red planet. The Mars rover Spirit enters the Martian atmosphere (and cleaves a path right through a dust storm), deploying thick layers of airbags that allow it to bounce safely until landing upright. This is the same landing system employed by the Pathfinder mission in 1997, but the unmanned robot probe in this case is much more sophisticated. Among the primary scientific objectives of Spirit’s mission is to determine if water existed on the surface of Mars for a significant length of time. The Spirit rover will undergo a series of diagnostics and won’t begin its mobile mission for several days. Its identical twin, a rover named Opportunity, will land in three weeks.
The Outer Limits: Dark Child
Sci-Fi Channel airs the 148th episode of The Outer Limits.
This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could help change that.
RoboCop: Prime Directives: Dark Justice
The first movie-length installment episode of the miniseries RoboCop: Prime Directives airs on Space in Canada (the series will air in the U.S. on the Sci-Fi Channel in July). Starring Page Fletcher (The Hitchhiker), Maurice Dean Wint (Captain Power, TekWar, Psi Factor), Geraint Wyn-Davies (Forever Knight), and Maria Del Mar (Mercy Point), the series picks up the story of RoboCop over a decade after the original 1987 film. It is unrelated to the 1994 live-action series based on the same character, although this miniseries is produced by the same production company, exercising their TV rights to the character one last time before that option expires.
More about RoboCop: Prime Directives in theLogBook.com Store
E:FC: Between Heaven And Hell
The 32nd episode of Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict, airs in syndication, starring Robert Leeshock, Lisa Howard, Von Flores, and Richard Chevolleau. Majel Barrett Roddenberry (Star Trek) guest stars.
More about Earth: Final Conflict in the LogBook and theLogBook.com Store
Earth: Final Conflict now streaming on Amazon Prime
Star Trek: DS9: Prodigal Daughter
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 159th episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
More about Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the LogBook and theLogBook.com Store
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine now streaming on Paramount Plus
The X-Files: Kitsunegari
The 105th episode of Chris Carter’s modern-day science fiction series The X-Files airs on Fox, starring Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. Robert Wisden guest stars.
This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could help change that.
Babylon 5: In The Beginning
Cable channel TNT airs Babylon 5: In The Beginning, the first of two TV movies contracted by TNT to accompany its package of Babylon 5 reruns (which begin the following night). Set years before the series, In The Beginning chronicles the oft-mentioned-but-never-seen Earth-Minbari War. Premiering the same night is a “special edition” of the 1993 pilot movie, The Gathering, which brings its slightly dated effects and music more in line with the rest of the series.
More about Babylon 5 in the LogBook and theLogBook.com Store
Babylon 5 now streaming on Amazon Prime
Hear about it on the Sci-Fi 5 podcast
The Tomorrow People: The Rameses Connection – Part 1
The 16th episode of Roger Price’s rebooted science fiction series The Tomorrow People is broadcast on ITV in the U.K. (and will appear later on Nickelodeon in North America), starring Kristian Schmid, Naomie Harris (Spyfall), and Christian Tessier. Christopher Lee (The Wicker Man) and Adjoa Andoh guest star in the third season premiere.
This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could help change that.
The Tomorrow People: The Culex Experiment – Part 1
The sixth episode of Roger Price’s rebooted science fiction series The Tomorrow People is broadcast on ITV in the U.K. (and will appear later on Nickelodeon in North America), starring Kristian Schmid and Christian Tessier. Naomie Harris (Spyfall), Jean Marsh (Doctor Who), and Connie Booth (Fawlty Towers) guest star in the second season premiere.
This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could help change that.
Star Trek: DS9: Past Prologue
The week-long national syndication window opens for the second episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Andrew Robinson guest stars, making his first appearance as the Cardassian tailor Garak.
More about Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the LogBook and theLogBook.com Store
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine now streaming on Paramount Plus
Quantum Leap: Runaway
NBC airs the 41st episode of Donald Bellisario’s science fiction series Quantum Leap, starring Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell. Sandy Faison and Sherman Howard guest star.
This series is not yet fully chronicled in the LogBook. You could help change that.
Doctor Who: Greatest Show in the Galaxy 4
The 683rd episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. T.P. McKenna and Jessica Martin guest star in the final story of season 25.
More about Doctor Who in the LogBook
Order VWORP!1 from theLogBook.com Store
Doctor Who: Castrovalva, Part 1
The 554th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1, ending a trilogy of stories themed around the Doctor’s regeneration and the reintroduction of the Master. Peter Davison makes his debut as the fifth Doctor, and Anthony Ainley guest stars as the Master. The 19th season sees Doctor Who’s first move away from Saturday nights on the BBC’s schedule, with the series now airing on Monday and Tuesday nights.
More about Doctor Who in the LogBook
Order VWORP!1 from theLogBook.com Store
Hear about it on the Sci-Fi 5 podcast
Project UFO Sighting 4024: The Scoutmaster Incident
The 23rd episode of Harold Jack Bloom’s sci-fi series Project UFO airs on NBC, portraying fictionalized investigations into what the show claims are actual cases from the U.S. Air Force’s Project Blue Book investigations. Edward Winter and Caskey Swaim star. With ratings having fallen throughout the second season, the series is cancelled, with three remaining episodes to be “burned off” during the summer months.
This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could help change that.
Doctor Who: Robot Part 2
The 383rd episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. This is the first story of the fourth Doctor’s era.
More about Doctor Who in the LogBook
Order VWORP!1 from theLogBook.com Store
A come Andromeda: Episode 1
Italian broadcaster RAI premieres the first episode of A come Andromeda, starring Luigi Vannucchi and Nicoletta Rizzi. This is an Italian remake of the BBC’s 1961 sci-fi series A For Andromeda, written by Fred Hoyle and John Elliot; the Italian adaptation is written by Claudio Cassinelli. Unlike the BBC’s original series, all episodes of A come Andromeda exist on videotape.
This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could help change that.
Strange Report: Report 4407: Heart – No Choice for the Donor
ITV airs the 15th episode of the mystery/spy-fi series Strange Report in the U.K., starring Anthony Quayle, Kaz Garas, and Anneke Wills (Doctor Who). (The series is an international co-production and airs in the United States on NBC.)
This series is not yet fully chronicled in the LogBook. You could help change that.
The Owl Service: A Strange Picture
The third episode of children’s fantasy series The Owl Service is broadcast by British broadcast Granada Television. The series is adapted by novelist Alan Garner from his own novel.
This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could help change that.
Land Of The Giants: Nightmare
ABC airs the 42nd episode of Irwin Allen’s sci-fi series Land Of The Giants, starring Gary Conway, Don Matheson, Deanna Lund, and Don Marshall. Torin Thatcher guest stars.
More about Land Of The Giants in the LogBook and theLogBook.com Store
Land Of The Giants now streaming on Amazon Prime
Apollo 20 hardware reassigned to Skylab
NASA formally cancels the planned Apollo 20 mission to the moon’s Copernicus crater in order to begin converting the upper stage of the mission’s Saturn V rocket into the Skylab space station, to be launched in the early 1970s. Construction of the Apollo command/service module and lunar module scheduled to fly this mission was halted before either vehicle was completed. The crew would have consisted of Stu Roosa, Paul Weitz and Jack Lousma; ironically, Weitz was transferred to the first Skylab crew, while Lousma was part of the second Skylab crew. Both later flew on shuttle missions.
Fantastic Voyage: The Most Dangerous Game
ABC broadcasts the 17th and final episode of the Filmation animated series Fantastic Voyage, based on the 1966 movie of the same name. Marvin Miller, Ted Knight, and Jane Webb lead the voice cast.
This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could help change that.
Doctor Who: The Krotons, Part 2
The 229th episode of Doctor Who airs on the BBC. Philip Madoc guest stars. This is the first Doctor Who story written by Robert Holmes, who will become a frequent writer for the show during the early ’70s and take over as script editor during Tom Baker’s era.
More about Doctor Who in the LogBook
Order VWORP!1 from theLogBook.com Store
Lost In Space: The Girl From The Green Dimension
The 45th episode of Irwin Allen’s science fiction series Lost In Space premieres on CBS, starring Guy Williams, June Lockhart, and Jonathan Harris.
More about Lost In Space in the LogBook
Lost In Space now streaming on Amazon Prime
The Avengers: Room Without A View
British broadcaster ABC airs the 93rd episode of the spy-fi series The Avengers, starring Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg.
More about The Avengers in the LogBook and theLogBook.com Store
The Avengers now streaming on Amazon Prime
Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea: The Last Battle
The 17th episode of Irwin Allen’s adventure series Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea airs on ABC, starring Richard Basehart and David Hedison. John Van Dreelen guest stars.
This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could help change that.
The Avengers: The White Elephant
British broadcaster ABC airs the 67th episode of the spy-fi series The Avengers, starring Patrick Macnee and Honor Blackman.
More about The Avengers in the LogBook and theLogBook.com Store
The Avengers now streaming on Amazon Prime
Doctor Who: The Escape
The seventh episode of Doctor Who airs on the BBC. The Escape is part three of the story now collectively known as The Daleks, the first story to feature the Doctor’s future arch-rivals. The Daleks’ rivals on the planet Skaro, the Thals, are encountered for the first time.
More about Doctor Who in the LogBook
Order VWORP!1 from theLogBook.com Store
Tales Of Tomorrow: The Dune Roller
The 15th episode of ABC’s science fiction anthology series, Tales Of Tomorrow, airs on ABC, with each episode’s opening titles proclaiming that the series is produced “in cooperation with the Science-Fiction League of America”, a collective of sci-fi writers including Isaac Asimov and Theodore Sturgeon among its members. This episode stars Bruce Cabot and Nancy Coleman.
This series is not yet chronicled in the LogBook. You could help change that.