"Alien" wins 3 Saturn Awards 1980

Ridley Scott's iconic monster movie, Alien, was nominated for seven Saturn Awards, and took home three trophies at the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror's seventh annual ceremony, July 26, 1980.

Alien won Best Science Fiction Film, Best Director for Ridley Scott, and Best Supporting Actress for Veronica Cartwright.

It was also nominated for Best Actress for Sigourney Weaver (shoulda won), Best Writing for Dan O'Bannon, Best Makeup, and Best Special Effects.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture was nominated for 10 Saturns, but took home only one award for Best Special Effects.

Disney's The Black Hole was nominated for Best Science Fiction Film, Best Writing, Best Music, and Best Special Effects. 

The Muppet Movie won Best Fantasy Film and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century won Best Costumes.

Explorer 4 launched 1958

Explorer 4, launched July 26, 1958 from Cape Canaveral, was the first of two planned satellites from the Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) to study the Van Allen radiation belts.  It reached a height of 163 miles.  Soon after orbit insertion, Explorer 4 developed a tumbling motion with a period about 6 seconds, which made interpretation of the data collected from the satellite very difficult.

Explorer 4 performed until the low-power and plastic scintillator detector failed on September 3, 1958.  The Geiger-Muller tubes and the cesium/iodide crystal detectors operated until September 19.   The high-power transmitter worked until October 5, likely due to the exhaustion of the power batteries.

Explorer re-entered Earth's atmosphere October 23, 1959.

"Star Trek: First Contact" wins 3 Saturn Awards 1997

Star Trek: First Contact, the second appearance of the Next Generation crew, was nominated for 10 Saturn Awards from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. It took home three of the prizes at the annual ceremony held July 23, 1997.

Brent Spiner won Best Supporting Actor for his role as Data, and Alice Krige won Best Supporting Actress for her performance as the Borg Queen.  Deborah Everton won for Best Costumes.

Patrick Stewart was nominated for Best Actor as Jean-Luc Picard.  There were no nominees for Best Actress from the movie, which is a crime, since Alfre Woodard was awesome!  She deserved a nomination as much as Helen Hunt, Frances McDormand, and Penelope Ann Miller.  With the given nominees, I would have preferred to see Penelope Ann Miller win for her work in The Relic.

Star Trek: First Contact was nominated for Best Science Fiction Film. Jonathan Frakes was nominated for Best Director.  Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore were nominated for Best Writing. Michael Westmore, Scott Wheeler, and Jake Garber were nominated for Best Make-up. Jerry Goldsmith was nominated for Best Music (another tragedy that he didn't win). John Knoll with Industrial Light & Magic was nominated for Best Special Effects.

Independence Day had 11 nominations and won three.  The Relic, one of horror favorites, received two nominations.  Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie had one nomination.  Twister got four nominations.

The Pointer Sisters release "He's so Shy" 1980

My girls released He's So Shy, the first single from their Special Things album, July 23, 1980. The was written initially as She's So Shy by Tom Snow and Cynthia Weil for Leo Sayer, but Richard Perry, the Pointer Sisters' producer, thought it had greater potential if the gender of the song was adjusted.  

The Pointer Sisters' single went to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1980 and held the spot for three weeks.  They performed He's So Shy on an episode of The Love Boat, which aired February 7, 1981.

"Jaws 3-D" released 1983

Another bad movie that I enjoy watching Jaws 3-D was released into theaters July 22, 1983.  It had a stellar cast with Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Simon MacCorkindale, Lea Thompson, and Louis Gossett, Jr.  Roy Scheider absolutely wanted no part of this movie. Quaid plays the grown up son Michael Brody of Scheider's previous role of Police Chief Martin Brody of Amity Island.

Jaws 3-D takes place in SeaWorld Orlando, where a young great white shark manages to enter from the sea and begins attacking and killing park employees. Mike Brody is a chief engineer for SeaWorld with his girl friend Kay Morgan as the senior biologist.  After they capture the shark, they realize that a much larger shark has also infiltrated the park.

Although it fared well at the box office, it did not enjoy the same success as its predecessors.  It was largely criticized, receiving an 11% rating from Rotten Tomatoes.  Jaws 3-D was nominated for five Razzie awards in 1984: Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, and Worst Supporting Actor Louis Gossett, Jr.  The dolphins were also nominated for Worst New Star which is unfair, considering the material they had to work with.  Also, who said their acting was terrible?

Chandrayaan-2 launched 2019

Chandrayaan-2, launched July 22, 2019, is the second mission to the moon, developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The spacecraft launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre and reached lunar orbit on August 20, 2019.  

The Vikram lunar lander with the Pragyan rover attempted to land on the lunar surface September 6, but the lander crashed due to a software error.  The lunar orbiter continues to operate from orbit around the moon.

Chandrayaan-3 was launched in 2023 and successfully made a lunar landing.

Comedian Dan Rowan born 1922

Dan Rowan, born July 22, 1922 in Beggs, Oklahoma, is best known for his comedy show with partner Dick Martin, Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.  He graduated from Pueblo, Colorado after being orphaned and then taken in by a foster family.  

In 1940, he hitchhiked to Los Angeles and got a job in the mailroom at Paramount Pictures.  During WWII, Rowan served as a fighter pilot in the 8th Fighter Squadron, 49th Fighter Group of the US Army Air Forces.  He shot down two Japanese aircraft before being shot down himself and being seriously wounded.  He received the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal, and the Purple Heart.

After the war, he returned to California and teamed up with Dick Martin and created a successful nightclub act.  They took their act to television and Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In debuted in 1967.  The show lasted until 1973.  He won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Variety or Musical Series in 1969 with Martin, Paul Keyes, and Carolyn Raskin.

He passed away in 1987 from lymphoma.

Rohini-1, first Indian satellite, launched 1980

India officially entered the space age following the successful launch of Rohini-1 (Rohini Satellite 1 or RS-1), July 18, 1980. It was manufactured by the Indian Space Research Organization. India became the seventh country with its own ability to launch satellites. It was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Center.  It carried instruments such as a sun sensor, magnetometer, and temperature sensors.

It was planned to have a lifespan of 100 days, but it remained in orbit for 20 months.

Happy birthday, astronaut Josh Cassada!

Josh Cassada, born July 18, 1973 in San Diego, California, went into space as pilot of SpaceX Crew-5 to the International Space Station in October 2022.  Prior to becoming astronaut, he conducted research at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and became a naval officer.  He completed his flight training and flew in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

He was selected as an astronaut in 2013.  He spent over 157 days in space and participated in Expedition 68.  He returned to Earth in March 2023.

Soyuz TMA-05M launched 2012

Soyuz TMA-05M crew (L-R): Yuri Malenchenko, Sunita Williams, Akihiko Hoshide

Soyuz TMA-05M, launched July 15, 2012, carried the members of Expedition 32 crew to the International Space Station.  Its crew consisted of Commander Yuri Malenchenko, Sunita Williams, and Akihiko Hoshide. The crew participated in Expedition 32 and Expedition 33, before returning to Earth November 19, 2012.

Happy birthday, cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin!

Alexander Grebenkin, born July 15, 1982 in the former Soviet Union, is currently aboard the International Space Station.  He arrived on SpaceX Crew-8, launched on March 4, 2024.  He completed Expedition 70 with his fellow SpaceX crew members and is currently involved in Expedition 71. He is scheduled to return to Earth in August 2024.

Three Dog Night releases "Liar" 1971

Three Dog Night released Liar, the follow-up single to their mega-hit Joy to the World July 10, 1971.  It was the second single from their fifth studio album Naturally.  Liar was written by Russ Ballard and his band Argent released it in 1970 on their self-title debut album but it did not chart.

In the US, Three Dog Night's Liar reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at #4 in Canada.

Happy birthday, cosmonaut Dmitri Petelin!

Dmitry Petelin, born July 10, 1983 in the former Soviet Union, went into space aboard Soyuz MS-22 to the International Space Station in September 2022. He participated in Expeditions 67-69, and spent over a year in space. Soyuz MS-22 was damaged when it docked with the ISS.  It was finally determined that the spacecraft could not return with a crew.  

Soyuz MS-23 launched without a crew in February 2023 and Soyuz MS-22 returned to Earth unmanned in March 2023. Petelin and the rest of the Soyuz MS-22 crew returned to Earth in Soyuz MS-23 in September 2023.  A six-month assignment was stretched to over a year.

Billy Joel releases "A Matter of Trust" 1986

Billy Joel released the second single, A Matter of Trust, from his The Bridge album, July 9, 1986.  It became a top ten hit in the US and was used in the Soviet Union as part of a state-sponsored promotion for his 1987 USSR tour.

It reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. The video is the only one to feature Billy Joel on a guitar, rather than a piano.

Lyrics:

Some love is just a lie of the heart
The cold remains of what began with a passionate start
And they may not want it to end
But it will, it’s just a question of when
I’ve lived long enough to have learned
The closer you get to the fire the more you get burned
But that won’t happen to us
Because it’s always been a matter of trust

I know you’re an emotional girl
It took a lot for you to not lose your faith in this world
I can’t offer you proof
But you’re gonna face a moment of truth
It’s hard when you’re always afraid
You just recover when another belief is betrayed
So break my heart if you must
It’s a matter of trust

You can’t go the distance
With too much resistance
I know you have doubts
But for God’s sake don’t shut me out

This time you’ve got nothing to lose
You can take it, you can leave it
Whatever you choose
I won’t hold back anything
And I’ll walk away a fool or a king
Some love is just a lie of the mind
It’s make believe until it’s only a matter of time
And some might have learned to adjust
But then it never was a matter of trust

I’m sure you’re aware love
We’ve both had our share of
Believing too long
When the whole situation was wrong

Some love is just a lie of the soul
A constant battle for the ultimate state of control
After you’ve heard lie upon lie
There can hardly be a question of why
Some love is just a lie of the heart
The cold remains of what began with a passionate start
But that can’t happen to us
Because it’s always been a matter of trust

Happy birthday, Jennifer Saunders!

Jennifer Saunders, born July 8, 1958 in Lincolnshire, England, is best known for her comedy duo act with Dawn French (French and Saunders), and for her sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, which was born from a French and Saunders skit.

She wrote every episode of Ab Fab and I think she one of the funniest, most talented comedic writer ever.  Absolutely Fabulous won four BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) awards and nominated for ten more.

She auditioned for the voice of Ursula in Disney's The Little Mermaid, but Steven Spielberg liked her voice and cast her for the Fairy Godmother in Shrek 2.

Nozomi, Japanese spacecraft to Mars, launched 1998

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched its first spacecraft to another planet July 3, 1998. Nozomi ("wish" or "hope") was intended to orbit Mars and study the atmosphere and solar wind.  During its first flyby of Earth for a gravitational assist, Nozomi suffered a malfunctioning valve which depleted much of its fuel and left Nozomi with insufficient acceleration to reach Mars.  Two more course corrections used more propellant than planned, leaving Nozomi even more depleted.

JAXA planned to put Nozomi into a heliocentric orbit for four years and make two Earth flybys to gain momentum and reach Mars at a slower velocity.

In April 2002, Nozomi was approaching Earth for another gravity assist when solar flares damaged its onboard communications and power systems.  An electrical short in a power cell caused the remaining hydrazine fuel to freeze.  Fortunately the fuel thawed out by the time it reached Earth, due to its proximity to the sun, and made a successful flyby in December 2002.

Another Earth flyby occurred in June 2003, but in December 2003, efforts to orient Nozomi to prepare for a main thruster orbital insertion at Mars failed.  The mission was abandoned.  The small thrusters were fired on December 9, 2003 so Nozomi would approach Mars to a distance of 1000 km and would not impact the surface.  The spacecraft remains in a heliocentric orbit.