"1917" released 2020

Sam Mendes' WWI epic 1917 was released in US theaters January 10, 2020.  It told the harrowing journey as two British soldiers are sent on a mission to deliver a message to halt an attack that could cost 1600 men their lives. It boasted an impressive cast including Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Richard Madden.

Mendes shot the movie such that it looks as it was filmed in only one, continuous shot, a technique invented by Alfred Hitchcock in his movie Rope.

It was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Visual Effects, and Best Achievement in Sound Editing.

1917 was nominated for 207 awards. Cinematographer Roger Deakins won about 40 awards for his work. 

SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour launched 2020

Endeavour crew (L-R): Douglas Hurley, Robert Behnken

SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo-2 (Endeavour), launched May 30, 2020, was the first crewed orbital spaceflight launched from the US since the end of the Space Shuttle project in 2011.  Its crew consisted of Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken, both veterans of the space shuttle program.  Nineteen hours after launch, Endeavour docked with the International Space Station. 

Behnken and Hurley worked with Expedition 63, and Behnken conducted four EVAs with fellow astronaut Chris Cassidy.  After sixty-two days, Endeavour undocked from the ISS and splashed down thirteen hours later.  It was the first water landing by astronauts since 1975. 

"1917" wins three Oscars 2020

1917, the WWI film produced and directed by Sam Mendes, won three Academy Awards at the 92nd annual ceremony held February 9, 2020.  It had been nominated for a total of 7 Oscars.

It won Best Sound Mixing for Mark Taylor and Stuart Wilson. This was Taylor's first win and third nomination.  It was the first Oscar for Wilson and his 6th nomination. His nominations included Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Rogue One, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Roger Deakins won for Best Cinematography.  It was his second Oscar win, after fifteen nominations at that time.  He won previously for Blade Runner 2049. 

1917 won Best Visual Effects for Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler, and Dominic Tuohy. This was Rocheron's second Oscar, having won previously for Life of Pi.  It was Butler's first Oscar win. It is also Tuohy's first Oscar and third nomination.  

1917 was nominated for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Sound Editing. 

"Chernobyl" and "1917" each win two Golden Globe Awards 2020

The 77th annual ceremony of the Golden Globe Awards was held January 5, 2020, honoring the best in film and television of 2019. 

1917, the WWI drama that looked like it had been filmed in one very long take, took home two Golden Globes.  It won for Best Motion Picture Drama and Best Director for Sam Mendes.  It also received a nomination for Best Original Score for Thomas Newman.  Knives Out, another favorite of mine, received three nominations as well: Best Musical Or Comedy, Best Actor for Daniel Craig and Ana de Amas for Best Actress.

The HBO miniseries Chernobyl, nominated for four Golden Globes won for Best Miniseries or Television Film and for Best Supporting Actor Performance in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film for Stellan Skarsgard for his role as Boris Shcherbina.  Jared Harris was nominated for Best Actor for his role as Valery Legasov and Emily Watson was nominated for Supporting Actress for her role as Ulana Khomyuk.

"1917" wins 7 BAFTA Awards 2020

1917, the WWI movie about the desperate attempt to deliver a message to the front lines, won 7 British Academy Film and Television Awards (BAFTA) at the 73rd ceremony held February 2, 2020.  It was nominated for nine.  It won:

Best Film 

Best Direction (Sam Mendes)

Best Cinematography (Roger Deakins)

Best Production (Dennis Gassner and Lee Sandales)

Best Sound

Best Special Visual Effects

Outstanding British Film

The only two categories the movie didn't win were Best Makeup and Hari and Best Original Music.  I was disappointed to see that 1917 did not get any Best Actor nominations, since the acting was spectacular.  George Mackay, the lead actor, put in a lot of hard work and did an awesome job, as did Dean-Charles Chapman, in the supporting role.  The movie had many other stellar actors such as Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Richard Madden. 

But it definitely deserved every one of the awards it received. 

Hayabusa 2 capsule returns to Earth 2020

The surface of Ryugu

Hayabusa 2, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) probe launched in 2014, returned to Earth with samples from near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu December 5, 2020.  After its sampling mission was completed in November 2019, Hayabusa 2 fired its ion engines and returned to Earth.

It released the sample capsule on December 5, 2020 and the capsule landed at the Woomera Test Range in Australia.  JAXA has shared a portion of the samples with NASA and NASA will share samples from asteroid Bennu, when OSIRIS-REx returns in 2023.

China launches Chang'e 5 to the moon 2020

After three years of delays from the original launch schedule, China successfully launched Chang'e 5 November 23, 2020 (UTC).  On November 28, it arrived at the moon and the Lander/Ascender separated from the Orbiter/Returner, landing December 1, near the volcanic complex Mons Rumker in the Northern Oceanus Procellarum..  It took samples of the lunar soil

The Ascender lifted from the lunar surface December 3 and docked with the Orbiter/Returner on December 5, transferring the samples to the return capsule.  The Ascender crashed back onto the moon, and the Orbiter/Returner returned to Earth December 16.

China is the third country to send a spacecraft to the moon and return with samples.

"The Mandalorian wins seven Primetime Emmy Awards 2020

After only one season, The Mandalorian proved to be a powerhouse in the creative arts and won seven Primetime Emmys at the 72nd ceremony September 20, 2020.  The Disney-produced Star Wars spin-off won: 

1.     Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour),
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score),
Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour),
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation,
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation,
Outstanding Special Visual Effects,
Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Limited Series or Movie

It was nominated for seven more:

Outstanding Drama Series,

Outstanding Guest Actor (Giancarlo Esposito) in a Drama Series,

Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes,

Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie or Special,

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series (3 episodes nominated)

Janet Jackson, Patti LaBelle and Kermit the Frog selected for National Recording Registry

The National Recording Registry announced its selections for “audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage” for 2020 yesterday, March 24, 2021.

Among the 25 selections are Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 album, LaBelle's single Lady Marmalade, Kermit the Frog's performance of Rainbow Connection, and Kool & the Gang's Celebration.

See all the selections here:

https://variety.com/2021/music/news/library-of-congress-national-recording-registry-nas-janet-jackson-1234936992/

Chang'e 5 probe lands on the moon today!

China's lunar probe Chang'e 5, launched November 23, landed on the moon today.  Its mission is to sample the lunar soil (about 4.4 lb or 2 kg) and return to Earth about December 16-17.  It will make China the third nation to send a probe to the moon and return with samples.

Soyuz MS-17 launched today!

Soyuz MS-17 crew (L-R): Kathleen Rubins, Sergey Ryzhikov, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov

Soyuz MS-17, launched this morning, has carried three members of Expedition 63 to the International Space Station.  Its crew consists of Commander Sergey Ryzhikov, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, and Kathleen Rubins (NASA), who celebrates her birthday today!

They plan to return to Earth April 17, 2021.

SpaceX Crew Dragon returned to Earth today!

Crew Dragon (L-R): Robert Behnken, Doug Hurley

SpaceX's Crew Dragon, consisting of Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico today about 2:48PM EDT!  The last time NASA had a mission splashdown was in 1975 when Tom Stafford, Vance Brand and Deke Slayton returned from the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.

Bob and Doug spent 62 days aboard the International Space Station participating in Expedition 63.  Behnken conducted four EVAs with fellow astronaut Chris Cassidy during the mission.

NASA launches Mars Perseverance rover today!

For the third time in only the last week and a half, a rocket was launched to Mars.  Today, NASA launched its spacecraft to the red planet, after China and the United Arab Emirates did the same.  Perseverance was launched from Cape Canaveral this morning and should reach Mars February 18, 2021.  The probe will be accompanied by a helicopter Ingenuity, which will help scout for locations for Perseverance to explore.

I'm thinking of AMEE from Red Planet.

China launches Tianwen-1 to Mars today!

The China National Space Administration launched Tianwen-1, a robotic mission to Mars, earlier today!  The name Tianwen means "Heavenly Questions" or "Questions to Heaven".

After a failed partnership with Russia in 2011, China began their own project which culminated in the launch today.  The spacecraft consists of an orbiter and a lander with a rover.  The lander will use a parachute, retrorockets and an airbag to land on the surface of Mars.  The lander will release a rover.

It should enter orbit around Mars in February 2021, and the lander should touch down in April.

United Arab Emirates mission to Mars launched today!

The United Arab Emirates launched their first mission to Mars, Hope, earlier today.  The mission is expected to reach Mars in February 2021.  It will study the Martian atmosphere, weather cycles and events to understand why the atmosphere is losing hydrogen and oxygen into space.

It was built by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center with the University of Colorado, Arizona State University and the University of California, Berkeley. 

If it is successful, it will be the first mission to Mars by any Arab or Muslim country.

Celebrating Pride Month: Rosemary Ketchum, first openly transgender elected official In West Virginia

Rosemary Ketchum, an openly transgender woman, won a seat on the Wheeling City Council earlier this week, making her the first to be elected in West Virginia.

She said her platform was not based on  her gender, but focused on affordable housing and opioid addiction.  She is one of 27 openly transgender officials in the United States.

Remembering Bonnie Pointer (1950-2020)

Bonnie Pointer, born July 11, 1950 and a founding member of the Grammy-winning, ground-breaking Pointer Sisters, passed away earlier today.  She and baby sister June started singing as teenagers and in 1969, Anita joined the pair and they changed their name to the Pointer Sisters.  In 1972, big sister Ruth joined and they released their debut album in 1973.

Bonnie co-wrote their country hit Fairytale with Anita, which won their first Grammy Award.  She is survived by her two sisters Ruth and Anita.

Soyuz MS-15 lands safely today!

Soyuz MS-15 landing crew (L-R): Oleg Skripochka, Jessica Meir, Andrew Morgan

Soyuz MS-15, with members of Expedition 62, landed safely in Kazakhstan this morning.  Its crew consisted of Commander Oleg Skripochka and Jessica Meir who launched in September 2019.  They spent about 205 days in space.  Hazz Al Mansouri was aboard for the launch but returned on Soyuz MS-12 October 3.

Andrew Morgan went into space aboard Soyuz MS-13 in July 2019.  He spent about 277 days in space.

Soyuz MS-16 launched today!

Soyuz MS-16 crew (L-R):  Chris Cassidy, Anatoli Ivanishin, Ivan Vagner

Mission patch

Soyuz MS-16 was launched earlier this morning to the International Space Station.  It has docked with the station but the hatch hasn't been opened yet.  Its crew consists of Commander Anatoli Ivanishin, Ivan Vagner and Christopher Cassidy.

They will join the crew of Expedition 62 currently aboard the ISS.

SpaceX's abort test is successful!

SpaceX and NASA tested SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft today on its capability to separate from the rocket (Falcon 9) in the event of an emergency.  Everything functioned correctly from the separation, engine shutdown and deploying the parachutes. 

It was the final test before it can start carrying astronauts to the ISS.