Happy birthday, astronaut Brian Duffy!

Brian Duffy, born June 20, 1953 in Boston, Massachusetts, has been in space four times. He graduated from the US Air Force Academy in 1975 and was selected by NASA to become an astronaut in June 1985.

His first flight was aboard Atlantis (STS-45) as pilot in March-April 1992.  He spent almost 9 days in space before returning to Earth. 

His second mission was aboard Endeavour (STS-57) as pilot in June-July 1993. He spent 10 days in space before returning to Earth. 

Duffy's third mission was aboard Endeavour (STS-72) as commander January 11-20, 1996. He spent almost 9 days in space before returning to Earth.

His fourth and final mission was aboard Discovery (STS-92) as commander to the International Space Station October 11-24, 2000. He spent 13 days in space before returning to Earth.

Duffy was inducted into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame May 14, 2016.

Happy birthday, astronaut Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger!

Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, born May 2, 1975 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, went into space in 2010. She graduated from Fort Collins High School and attended Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, graduating in 1997.

She was selected by NASA in 2004.  She went into space aboard Discovery (STS-131) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in April 2010. She returned to Earth after 15 days in space.

Happy birthday, astronaut Gregory Harbaugh!

Gregory Harbaugh, born April 15, 1956 in Cleveland, Ohio, went into space four times. 

His first mission was aboard Discovery (STS-39) as mission specialist in April 28, 1991. The mission was dedicated to the US Department of Defense. He spent over 8 days in space, returning to Earth on May 6.

His second flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-54) as mission specialist launched January 13, 1993. During the mission, Harbaugh and fellow astronaut Mario Runco conducted a 5 hour EVA in the cargo bay to advance NASA's understanding of working in space. He spent almost 6 days in space, returning to Earth January 19.

His third mission was aboard Atlantis (STS-71) as mission specialist to the Russian space station Mir, the third mission in the Shuttle-Mir program, launched June 27, 1995. He spent almost 10 days in space, returning to Earth, July 7. 

His fourth and final trip into space was aboard Discovery (STS-82) as mission specialist, launched February 11, 1997.  It was the second mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.  He and fellow astronaut Joseph Tanner conducted two EVAs during the mission for a total of about fifteen hours.  He spent almost 10 days in space before returning to Earth on February 21.

Happy birthday, astronaut James Dutton!

James Dutton Jr., born November 20, 1968 in Eugene, Oregon, went into space aboard space shuttle Discovery (STS-131) as pilot to the International Space Station in April 2010.  He retired from the US Air Force as Colonel in 2014.

Happy birthday, astronaut James Buchli!

James Buchli, born June 20, 1945 in New Rockford, North Dakota, flew into space four times with NASA's Space Shuttle program.  He graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1967 and received a commission in the US Marine Corps.  He served in the Vietnam War as a Platoon Commander with the 9th Marine Regiment, and then for B Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion.  He returned to the US in 1969 and completed his training as a naval flight officer. 

Buchli was chosen as an astronaut in 1979.  His first flight was aboard Discovery (STS-51-C) as mission specialist in January 1985.  The mission was dedicated to the US Department of Defense, and he returned to Earth after just over 3 days in space.

His second mission was aboard Challenger (STS-61-A) as flight engineer in October-November 1985, the last successful mission of the Challenger.  He spent seven days in space.

Buchlil's third mission was aboard Discovery (STS-29) as mission specialist in March 1989 to insert a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) into orbit. He spent almost 5 days in space before returning to Earth.

His fourth and final mission was aboard Discovery (STS-48) as mission specialist in September 1991 to deploy the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS).  He returned to Earth after more than 5 days in space.

Buchli retired from NASA in 1992

Astronaut Bruce McCandless born 1937

Bruce McCandless II, born June 8, 1937 in Boston, Massachusetts, went into space twice. He graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1958, and received flight training from the Naval Air Training Command in Pensacola, Florida and in Kingsville, Texas.

He was selected as an astronaut in the NASA Astronaut Group 5 at age 28, the youngest member of the group. He served as mission control capsule communicator (CAPCOM) during Apollo 11.  He served as CAPCOM for Apollo 14, as well as astronaut support crew.  He was reassigned to the Skylab program, serving as CAPCOM for Skylab 3 and Skylab 4.

His first mission was aboard Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-41-B) as mission specialist in February 1984. During the mission he performed the first untethered spacewalk, using the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), traveling 322 ft away from the shuttle. He spent eight days in space.

His second mission was aboard Discovery (STS-31) as mission specialist in April 1990. He was planning to conduct an EVA with fellow astronaut Kathryn Sullivan to fix and array that could not be deployed through ground control, but the problem was fixed without the need of an EVA.  He returned to Earth after 5 days in space.

McCandless passed away in December 2017.

Happy birthday, astronaut Paul Richards!

Paul Richards, born May 20, 1964 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, went into space aboard the space shuttle Discovery (STS-102) to the International Space Station as a mission specialist in March 2001.  The mission was to carry the crew of Expedition 2 to the ISS and bring home Expedition 1.  

During the mission, Richards and fellow astronaut Andrew Thomas performed an EVA which lasted 6 hours and 21 minutes. 

Richards returned to Earth after almost 13 days in space. He retired from NASA in February 2002 to pursue private interests.

Happy birthday, astronaut James Kelly!

James Kelly, born May 14, 1964 in Burlington, Iowa, traveled into space twice on Space Shuttle missions.  He received his BS degree in astronautical engineering from the US Air Force Academy in 1986, and a MS in aerospace engineering from the University of Alabama in 1996.

His first flight was aboard Discovery (STS-102) in March 2001 as pilot to the International Space Station.  He spent over 12 days in space.

His second and final flight was aboard Discovery (STS-114), the "Return to Flight" mission, the first after the Columbia disaster, to the International Space Station in July-August 2005. He spent almost 2 weeks in space before returning to Earth. 

Happy birthday. astronaut Donald Thomas!

Donald Alan Thomas, born May 6, 1955 in Cleveland, Ohio, has made four trips into space.  He got his BS in Physics from Case Western Reserve University in 1977, a MS and PhD in Materials Science, both from Cornell University.

NASA selected him as an astronaut in January 1990.  His first mission was aboard Columbia (STS-65) as mission specialist in July 1994, with birthday twin Chiaki Mukai. It was the mission that deployed the International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2) into space.  He spent almost 15 days in space.

His second flight was aboard Discovery (SGS-70) as mission specialist in July 1995.  It was the last of seven missions to carry a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) into orbit.  He spent 9 days in space.

On his third mission, he flew on Columbia (STS-83) as mission specialist in April 1997.  The flight was cut short due to a technical problem in a fuel cell, and the crew landed after just 4 days.

His fourth and final spaceflight was aboard Columbia (STS-94) as mission specialist in July 1997.  It was the re-flight of STS-83 just three months before.  The mission was a success and he landed after almost 16 days in space.

STS-131 launch & landing (4-5-10)

STS-131 crew

Seated (L-R): James Dutton, Alan Poindexter

Standing (L-R): Richard Mastracchio, Stephanie Wilson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Naoko Yamazaki, Clayton Anderson

STS-131 mission patch

Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-131), launched April 5, 2010, was the longest mission for Discovery and the last 7-man crew flight.  Its crew consisted of Commander Alan Poindexter, Pilot James Dutton, Richard Mastracchio, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson, Naoko Yamazaki (JAXA), and Clayton Anderson.

The primary payload was the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo.  Discovery carried food and science supplies to the International Space Station, as well as the Muscle Atrophy Resistive Exercise (MARES) rack.

The crew returned to Earth April 20, after over 15 days in space. 

Happy birthday, Star Trek actress Sonequa Martin-Green!

Sonequa Martin-Green, born March 21, 1985 in Russellville, Alabama, is currently appearing as Commander Michael Burnham on the series Star Trek: Discovery.  She previously appeared in the zombie series The Walking Dead.  She has won acting awards for both roles, including two Saturn Awards for her work on Star Trek: Discovery.

Elara, moon of Jupiter, discovered 1905

Elara, the 8th largest moon of Jupiter, was discovered by Charles Dillon Perrine January 5, 1905.  He made his discovery at the Lick Observatory at the University of California on Mount Hamilton, east of San Jose.

Up until 1975, Elara was known as Jupiter VII when it was given the name Elara.  In Greek mythology, Elara is a lover of Zeus (Jupiter in Roman mythology).  Zeus hid her from his jealous wife Hera by putting her deep into the Earth, where she gave birth to the giant Tityos.

NASA lists Elara on their website as having a diameter of 43 km, but a 2015 article in the Astrophysical Journal lists its diameter as around 80 km.  Don't know when that will be resolved.  Elara orbits Jupiter every 258 days.

The New Horizons spacecraft captured several images of Elara as it passed on its way to Pluto. 

Remembering astronaut Ken Mattingly (1936-2023)

Thomas "Ken" Mattingly, an American astronaut who went into space three times, passed away October 31. He was 87.  

Born in Chicago, Illinois, he moved with his family to Hialeah, Florida and soon, airplanes became an early fascination.  He graduated from Miami Edison High School in 1954 and received a BS degrees in aeronautical engineering from Auburn  University in 1958.  He then joined the navy and in 1966 he was selected as an astronaut.

He was scheduled to be the Command Module Pilot on the Apollo 13 mission, but he was removed form the mission because he had been exposed to German measles (which he didn't catch) and was replaced by Jack Swigert.  Mattingly did play a large role in helping the crew get safely back to Earth.

He was placed onto the crew of Apollo 16, the fifth lunar landing mission with John Young and Charlie Duke.  Mattingly and Young were the only two Apollo astronauts to fly on the Space Shuttle missions.  Mattingly carried out an EVA to retrieve film and data packages from the science bay on the side of the service module.

Mattingly served as commander of Columbia (STS-4) in June 1982, the fourth and final orbital test of Columbia.

He served as commander on Discovery (STS-51-C), a Department of Defense mission, in January 1985.

He retired from the Navy in 1986 as Rear admiral.  He passed away in Arlington, Virginia.

"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" wins 5 Saturn Awards 2021

The latest installment of the Star Wars franchise, The Rise of Skywalker, won 5 Saturn Awards at the 46th ceremony of the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, October 26, 2021.   It had been nominated for a total of 12 awards.

It won Best Science Fiction Film Release, Best Film Director for J. J. Abrams, Best Film Music for John Williams, Best Film Makeup, and Best Film Special/Visual Effects.  It was nominated for Best Film Writing, Best Actress in a Film for Daisy Ridley, Best Supporting Actor in a Film for Adam Driver and Ian McDiarmid, Best Film Editing, Best Film Production Design, and Best Costume Design.

Knives Out, a much better movie to me, won four Saturns: Best Thriller Film Release, Best Supporting Actress in a Film for Ana de Armas, Best Film Editing, and Best 4K Film Release.  It was nominated for Best Actor in a Film for Daniel Craig, Best Supporting Actor in a Film for Chris Evans, Best Supporting Actress for Jamie Lee Curtis, and Best Film Music.

Patrick Stewart won the Award for Best Actor on Television for his performance as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: Picard.  Picard was nominated for Best Science Fiction Television Series, Best Performance by a Younger Actor on a Television Series for Isa Briones, and Best Guest Performance on a Television Series for Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine.

Star Trek: Discovery won two Saturns: Best Science Fiction Television Series and Best Supporting Actor on Television for Doug Jones. Sonequa Martin-Green was nominated for Best Actress on Television. 

Godzilla even won a Saturn for Best DVD/BD Collection: Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975.  Gamera: The Complete Collection was nominated for the award. 

Happy birthday, astronaut Anna Lee Fisher!

Anna Lee Fisher, born August 24, 1949 in New York City, went into space aboard Discovery (STS-51-A) as mission specialist in November 1984. She is the first mother to go into space and was married to fellow astronaut Bill Fisher. She operated the Canadarm to successfully capture a satellite.

Fisher was scheduled to fly aboard STS-61-C but after the Challenger disaster, the mission was cancelled.  She spent almost 8 days in space. 

Happy birthday, astronaut José Hernandez!

Jose Hernandez, born August 7, 1962 in French Camp, California, went into space aboard Discovery (STS-128) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in August 2009. He spent almost 14 days in space.  He retired from NASA in January 2011.  He is one of about 14 Hispanic astronauts who have flown with NASA.

Happy birthday, astronaut Gregory Chamitoff!

Gregory Chamitoff, born August 6, 1962 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, has been in space twice.  

His first trip was aboard Discovery (STS-124) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in May 2008.  He participated in Expeditions 17 and 18 spending about six months on the space station.  He returned to Earth aboard Endeavour (STS-126) in November.

His second mission was aboard Endeavour (STS-134) to the International Space Station in May-June 2011.  He spent almost 16 days in space.  It was the last flight of Endeavour. 

He spent a total of 198 days, 18 hours in space.  

Happy birthday, Spanish astronaut Pedro Duque!

Pedro Duque, born March 14, 1963 in Madrid, Spain, is the first Spanish-born astronaut in space. 

Duque's first flight was aboard Discovery (STS-95) as mission specialist for the European Space Agency in October-November 1998.  He spent almost 10 days in space.

His second and final flight was aboard Soyuz TMA-3 to the International Space Station launched in October 2003 as Flight Engineer.  He remained on board for about 10 days and returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-2.  

After retiring from the ESA, he became the Minister of Science for the Government of Spain.

Happy birthday, astronaut James Voss!

Astronaut James Voss, born March 3, 1949 in Cordova, Alabama, is a veteran of 5 space shuttle flights. He graduated from Auburn University in 1972 with a Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the US Army.  He attended the University of Colorado and graduated with a Master's Degree in Aerospace Engineering Sciences.

His first trip into space was aboard Atlantis (STS-44) as mission specialist in November-December 1991. The crew was scheduled for a ten-day mission but was scrubbed after only 6 days, due to failure of one of the three orbiter inertial measurement units.

His second trip was aboard Discovery (STS-53) as mission specialist in December 1992.  The payload was a classified by the US Department of Defense.  Voss and the crew spent over 7 days in space.

His third mission was aboard Endeavour (STS-69) as mission specialist in September 1995.  During the mission, Voss conducted an EVA with fellow astronaut Michael Gernhardt which lasted o6 hours 46 minutes.  The crew spent nearly 11 days in space.

Voss's fourth trip into space was aboard Atlantis (STS-101) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in May 2000.  During the mission, he conducted another EVA with fellow astronaut Jeffrey Williams which lasted 6 hours and 44 minutes. The crew spent nearly 10 days in space.

His fifth and final mission was aboard Discovery (STS-102) as mission specialist launched in March 2001 to the International Space Station.  Along with fellow astronauts Susan Helms (who celebrated her birthday last week) and cosmonaut Yuri Usachov, he participated in Expedition 2 aboard the ISS.  He and Voss conducted the longest EVA to date: 8 hours, 56 minutes. They returned to Earth in August 2001 aboard Discovery (STS-105).

Overall, Voss has spent over 202 days in space.

Happy birthday, astronaut Susan Helms!

Susan Jane Helms, born February 26, 1958 in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a veteran of five Space Shuttle flights.  She attained the rank of Lieutenant General in the US Air Force before retiring.

Her first mission was aboard Endeavour (STS-54) as mission specialist in January 1993. She spent almost 6 days in space, making 96 orbits of Earth.  

Her second mission was aboard Discovery (STS-64) as mission specialist in September 1994.  She spent almost 11 days in space and completed 176 orbits of Earth.

Her third mission was aboard Columbia (STS-78) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in June-July 1996. She spent almost 17 days in space and completed 271 orbits of Earth.

Her fourth trip was aboard Atlantis (STS-101) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in May 2000. The wake up call on Day 2, Free Fallin' by Tom Petty was dedicated to Helms. She spent almost 10 days in space and completed 155 orbits of Earth.

Her fifth and final mission started on Discovery (STS-102) as mission specialist to the International Space Station launched in March 2001.  She participated in Expedition 2 on the ISS, conducting an EVA on March 11.  She returned to Earth aboard Discovery (STS-105) in August 2001, having spent over 167 days in space.