Jason Thompson

Is this a story that is considered a classic because it has an abundance of memorable and surreal imagery (clockwork soldiers, the white void, Jamie's face swap, Jamie and Zoe getting closed in a giant book, and so on), covering that the story itself is nonsense bobbins with a terrible ending?

This group comprised Elliot See (who would unfortunately die before he flew in space), Jim McDivitt, Tom Stafford, Ed White, Frank Borman, Charles 'Pete' Conrad, John Young, Jim Lovell, who sadly passed away only this week, and some chap by the name of Neil Armstrong.

Colour photo of nine astronauts selected in 1962, all in suits and ties with model spacecraft in front of them. In the back row, standing, are Elliot See, James McDivitt, James Lovell, Edward White and Thomas Stafford. Crouching in front are Charles 'Pete' Conrad, Frank Borman, Neil Armstrong and John Young.

Human Spaceflight: 17 Sep 1962. With ambitious spaceflight goals requiring far more astronauts than the current cohort of six (after Deke Slayton was grounded for medical reasons from the original Mercury 7) NASA announces the selection of another group of astronauts, the 'Next Nine'.

Such heroic nonsense….

"because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and the others, too."

✨"We choose to go to the Moon. We choose to go to the Moon... We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard;"✨

"Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation may never come again. But why, some say, the Moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?"

"...without repeating the mistakes that man has made in extending his writ around this globe of ours. There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all."

"I do not say that we should or will go unprotected against the hostile misuse of space any more than we go unprotected against the hostile use of land or sea, but I do say that space can be explored and mastered without feeding the fires of war..."

"Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war."

"We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and all technology, has no conscience of its own."

Human Spaceflight: 12 Sep 1962. To gain support for the ambitious goal of landing on the Moon by the end of the decade, President Kennedy delivers a speech at Rice University's Rice Stadium. Part of that speech is now forever associated with the Apollo programme. "We choose to go to the Moon..."

With that coloured lighting I'm not surprised!

You could have been in an episode of Doctor Who. Pretty sure they filmed a few there. The Christmas Invasion I think was one of them.

One of the best Star Trek episodes ever. A superb script and amazing technically.

Have you read his book about it? A superb read.

Also the story of the time I met Jim Lovell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLyuP_5CRjc All footage from NASA Jim Lovell had the best career #shorts #nasa #apollo #history

A quick look at Jim Lovell's incredible missions -- the first dual spacecraft mission, the final Gemini mission that rounded out the program, the first human mission to the Moon, and Apollo 13.

youtube.com/shorts/zC_0e...

Jim Lovell

Jim Lovell and Tom Hanks, who plays Jim Lovell in Apollo 13 (1995).

Jim Lovell and David Bowie in The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)

Jim Lovell.

RIP Jim Lovell.

One of the first three astronauts to fly to and orbit the Moon in Apollo 8. Then he survived Apollo 13. . Prior, he flew on two Gemini missions (7 & 12).

He was 97.

☝️He played himself in The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) and the captain of the USS Iwo Jima in Apollo 13 (1995).

Jim Lovell, who guided Apollo 13 safely back to Earth, dies aged 97 Commander of Apollo 13, who rescued his men from a near certain death in space, has died aged 97.

Sad news. Jim Lovell, commander of Apollo 13, has died aged 97. As well as the successful failure of Apollo 13 he was among the first to orbit the Moon on Apollo 8 as well as flying the Gemini VII and Gemini XII missions.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Human Spaceflight: 15 Aug 1962. Vostoks 3 & 4 return to Earth within 6 minutes of each other and just about 300km apart. Despite a rocky landing for one and some severe winds for the other, both cosmonauts were in excellent shape after several days in orbit.

Good lord, 100 episodes! And still recording. Plenty more to come!

In the west there is speculation that the Soviets were planning an orbital rendezvous. In reality, Vostok lacked the capability to manoeuvre in the way necessary to do that and they simply flew in similar orbits, never getting closer than a few miles from each other.

Human Spaceflight: 12 Aug 1962. Just shy of 24 hours since Andriyan Nikoleyev lifted off aboard Vostok 3, Vostok 4 takes Pavel Popovich into orbit. For the first time, two manned spacecraft are in orbit at the same time.

Still plenty of time to head to Transylvania with Nanny and Igor before our next episode arrives on Monday.

Hi hi, as that wizard show now is getting an audio book series, just a reminder that there are so many people in the queer space making audio drama for free that’s amazing so please go support those, instead of the terrible wizard woman who’s literally funding to make trans people’s lives worse.

Human Spaceflight: 11 Aug 1962. Andriyan Nikolayev lifts off aboard Vostok 3 for what would become a four day flight. The Soviets were storming ahead with man-hours in space. The real surprise, though, would be announced the next day....

The story goes that Max Groedenchik had to play left-handed because he was a semi-professional baseball player and could not convincingly play badly as Rom unless he used his non-dominant hand.

I love this episode. The end is such a feel-good moment.