Human Spaceflight: 16 Jan 1969. The Soviet Union makes history as the first docking between two crewed spacecraft takes place in orbit as Soyuz 4 and 5 link up. Another landmark is achieved as two of the Soyuz 5 cosmonauts make an EVA and transfer to Soyuz 4.

The Klingons?! First it was the Cardasdians, then it was the Dominion. Now it’s the Klingons! How’s a Ferengi supposed to make an honest living in a place like this?

A nice cuppa in a very appropriate new mug that I received as a Christmas gift.

Human Spaceflight: 14 Jan 1969. Soyuz 4 lifts off carrying Vladimir Shatalov into orbit. Once there a press release announces this launch, but makes no mention of the planned second launch the following day...

Here's a little video I put together of the build. My thanks to LendABrick.

Loving Lego but lacking the funds and shelf space, I thought I'd see if I could rent sets. LendABrick offered a good selection so I signed up. First set 76911 Speed Champions 007 Aston Martin DB5. 298 pieces. This one happened to be brand new and it was a fun build.

✨Coming soon!✨ It's a new Zoom quiz from me and @sihart.bsky.social, this time covering the Moffat era. Come and test your knowledge! Saturday 3rd January, questions start at 8pm. Register your interest below or DM for the link, which will be sent out on the night.

Human Spaceflight: 27 Dec 1968. The first humans to orbit the Moon return to Earth as Apollo 8 splashes down in the Atlantic. For astronauts Frank Borman and Bill Anders, this will be their last spaceflight. Jim Lovell will fly another Apollo mission.

✨Coming soon!✨ It's a new Zoom quiz from me and @sihart.bsky.social, this time covering the Moffat era. Come and test your knowledge! Saturday 3rd January, questions start at 8pm. Register your interest below or DM for the link, which will be sent out on the night.

Please listen to Absent Friends on BBC Radio 4 Extra today. Part One is 4.45pm (repeated at 0045) and Part Two is the same time tomorrow. It’s my acknowledgment of various folk from UK sci-fi, horror and fantasy who died this year. 4 Extra doesn’t do many home made productions, so do tune in!

Human Spaceflight: December 25th 1968. Apollo 8 fires its main engine to break out of lunar orbit and return to Earth. On the way home the crew make another TV broadcast, showing how they eat and drink as well as some of the navigation systems on board.

Happy Christmas to all who celebrate. To all who don’t, or are just not feeling it this year, I hope you have a good December 25th.

Human Spaceflight: 24 Dec 1968. The Apollo 8 astronauts, the first humans to orbit the moon, send live TV from lunar orbit. The first broadcast shows closeups of the surface as they describe it, the second shows more lunar views and famously closes with a reading from the Book of Genesis.

“Well, how can they be jamming us if they don’t know… if we’re coming? Break off the attack! The shield is still up!” Return of the Jedi is a Christmas movie.

Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without tinsel-laced cat vomit… 🙄

Human Spaceflight: 23 Dec 1968. Apollo 8's second live TV broadcast shows viewers on Earth images of Earth from about 180,000 miles away. While it was in fairly low resolution black and white, this was the first time live TV of Earth from such distances had been seen.

The Hamster has spawned....

The #1 movie when you were 10 years old is how your 2026 is going to go. Oh, wonderful....

Human Spaceflight: 22nd Dec 1968. From about halfway between the Earth and the Moon, Apollo 8 broadcasts live TV from inside the spacecraft. Jim Lovell has a special message for one viewer...

A repost for the evening crowd...

We're going back to the beginning. Well, a beginning....

Human Spaceflight: 21 Dec 1968. By sheer coincidence my journey through the early years of spaceflight has landed on this today. On this day 57 years ago Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders blasted off on Apollo 8 for the first manned circumlunar flight.

Today we remember that the festive period is a time for reunions with long-lost friends...

Human Spaceflight: 10 Nov 1968. Zond 6 is launched to the Moon in what is definitely a rehearsal for a manned circumlunar flight. Zond 6 carried turtles, flies and bacteria as a biological payload on a lunar flyby with a planned landing in Kazakhstan. While the flyby went well, the return did not.

Despite the slow pace, the lack of incident and the bad special effects, it celebrates the love and friendship between weird and grumpy old men who have annoyed one another for decades. And if you’ve got that, who needs Sha Ka Ree? #StarTrek #StarTrekV untitledstartrekproject.com/176

Well here's a fun fact I never knew!

Human Spaceflight: 30 Oct 1968. A collective sigh of relief is heard as Soyuz 3 returns Georgi Beregovoi safely to Earth after several days in space. After the Soyuz 1 disaster it appeared the safety issues had been ironed out, though there were still some flight issues to be worked out.

I refuse to link but I'm so sick of seeing online 'articles' about the early years of space flight illustrated by AI junk. There are literally tens of thousands of actual, high quality photographs of the things they are talking about, most of which are easily available online.

Human Spaceflight: 26th Oct 1968. Giorgy Beregovoi is the first cosmonaut in space since Komarov's ill-fated Soyuz 1 in February 1967. His Soyuz 3 spacecraft makes a successful rendezvous with the unmanned Soyuz 2 but a docking attempt fails. That it was even attempted was concealed for decades.

Human Spaceflight: 25 Oct 1968. In near total secrecy, a Soyuz rocket lifts off from Baikonur cosmodrome. The world would have to wait until the following day to hear that this was in fact the uncrewed launch of Soyuz 2, a quiet herald of the return of cosmonauts to space after almost two years.

“It’s Christmas” And before I wish a happy Christmas to all of you at home, watch my Christmas episode to find out which shot number that moment belonged to! Doctor Who and the Feast of Steven (or the bits we can see…)

A repost for the evening crowd...

@garethbowley.bsky.social and I are heading around the world...

Human Spaceflight: 22 Oct 1968. After 11 days in space, Apollo 7 splashes down having completed a highly successful test flight of the Apollo command and service modules. Described as completing 101% of its tasks, and with live TV to show the masses, it was about the most successful mission flown.

Human Spaceflight: 21 Oct 1968. Apollo 7 makes its 7th and final TV boradcast from space. Despite initial resistance, the astronauts have engaged with the broadcasts in apparently good spirits, and the reaction by viewers on Earth has been staggering. Live zero-G demonstrations captivated everyone.

www.derbyquad.co.uk/events/whoov... @stephenhatcher.bsky.social @andydrewz.bsky.social

Human Spaceflight: 14 Oct 1968. 'From the lovely Apollo room high atop everything', the crew of Apollo 7 make history with the first ever live television broadcast from space. It lasts less than ten minutes but for the first time viewers at home could see the astronauts in orbit in real time.

Still struggling to find everyone on here! Appreciate re posts. #DoctorWho

Human Spaceflight: 11 Oct 1968 (cont.). On the first day in orbit, Apollo 7 turned around then made several rendezvous manoeuvres with the spent S-IVB stage. This was a dry run for the lunar missions, where the spacecraft would turn and dock with the lunar module, then extract it from the stage.

It is strangely disorienting walking down a broken, static escalator. Especially when the other one next to it is working.

Human Spaceflight: 11 Oct 1968. Nearly two years after the last NASA crew launched into space, and after extensive work following the tragedy of Apollo 1, astronauts Walter Schirra, Walt Cunningham and Don Eisele are the first people to ride a Saturn IB into orbit with the launch of Apollo 7.

You never know who to trust, but when you're already facing the wrath of the gods it's best to be rather more careful than Ulysses here. Still, the universe was only ALMOST destroyed, so it all worked out okay in the end...

Human Spaceflight: 15 Sep 1968. The Soviets launch Zond 5 on a circumlunar flight. In the West there was speculation that this was a precursor to a manned mission, and this was perfectly true. Zond was intended for a crew. Some recent launch failures prompted this one to remain an unmanned test.

Surprising myself realising I have no real desire to watch ‘War’ tonight. Just can’t muster enthusiasm for a story that seems likely to be a reread of previous ones which can only end in either unequivocal victory for humanity or a massive geopolitical upheaval that somehow goes unnoticed elsewhere.

Amazing how there are some people to whom it appears impossible to give what they want, yet at the same time give them exactly what they do want, because all they really want is to have something to complain about.

Human Spaceflight: 28 Aug 1968. The Soviets launch a spacecraft into orbit officially designated Kosmos 238. Not until the 1980s is it confirmed this is an unmanned test of a Soyuz spacecraft. following modifications made in the wake of previous flights. The flight is a success.

Human Spaceflight: 06 May 1968. During a training exercise, a malfunction of the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle causes Neil Armstrong to bail out seconds before the machine crashed to the ground and exploded. He bit his tongue on landing but escaped otherwise unharmed.

Marvellous! Pre-ordered. www.youtube.com/watch?si=6JC...

Much better seeing today. That sunspot group looks amazing. My iPhone pointed down the eyepiece of my little Mak can’t do it justice. They are also visible without magnification if you have any eclipse glasses handy. Reminder: NEVER look at the sun without the right filters!

Human Spaceflight: 14 Apr 1968. Kosmos 212 is launched. the following day, Kosmos 213 follows it into orbit and it is soon announced that the two craft have made an automated docking. Only almost 20 years later was it revealed this was another uncrewed test of the Soyuz spacecraft.