Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger joined by George Lucas, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Billy Dee Williams to mark historic moment for The Walt Disney Company.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (May 29, 2019) – The Walt Disney Company celebrated the momentous dedication of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge tonight in an epic ceremony at Disneyland Park. Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger unveiled the largest and most technologically advanced single-themed land expansion ever in a Disney park, which is set to open to the general public at Disneyland Park on May 31, and also at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida on Aug. 29.

“Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is absolutely amazing and we are thrilled to finally share it with the world,” said Bob Iger, chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company.

“Now, for the first time, fans will be able to immerse themselves in the iconic stories that have captured audiences’ imaginations for decades and live their own Star Wars adventures in the most creative, innovative and ambitious land we’ve ever built.”

To dedicate Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Iger was joined in front of the Millennium Falcon by Star Wars icons including George Lucas, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Billy Dee Williams. In a ceremony set to the soaring John Williams score composed especially for the land, global media and invited guests were the very first to see the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy roar to life.

“With Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disney is redefining the theme park experience and setting a new bar for experiential storytelling,” said Bob Chapek, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. “From each authentic detail to the land’s jaw-dropping scale, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge exceeds every expectation.”

When it opened to the public at Disneyland Resort on May 31 and later at Walt Disney World Resort on Aug. 29, guests will be transported to the remote planet of Batuu*, full of unique sights, sounds, smells and tastes. Guests can become part of the story as they sample galactic food and beverages, explore an intriguing collection of merchant shops and take the controls of the most famous ship in the galaxy aboard Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.

Phase two, opening later this year, will feature Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, the most ambitious, immersive and advanced attraction ever imagined, which will place guests in the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance and will blur the lines between fantasy and reality. In light of tremendous demand, Disney made the decision to open the land in phases to allow guests to sooner enjoy the one-of-a-kind experiences that make Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge so spectacular.

Once guests step foot on Batuu, they will be part of the action as it unfolds around them, and their interactions with the Play Disney Parks mobile app** will deepen their engagement with the land – the first land within a Disney park designed to integrate with the app. They may choose to aid a smuggler, join the Resistance or pledge their loyalty to the First Order. This depth of storytelling is part of the total immersion that will distinguish the two, 14-acre lands from any other themed land in history.

The new lands build off decades of collaboration between Walt Disney Imagineering and Lucasfilm Ltd., a global leader in film, television and digital entertainment production, including the Star Wars franchise. The work on Star Wars between these two creative powerhouses dates back to 1987, when the groundbreaking Star Tours attraction opened at Disneyland Park in California.

Reservations are required to enter Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park between May 31 and June 23.*** Guests visiting during this time will need valid theme park admission and a reservation to enter the new land. After June 23, reservations will no longer be required to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Los Angeles, Calif. – The historic mission to put an astronaut on the Moon launched on July 16, 1969. Just four days later, July 20, 1969, Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin made history as the first men to step foot on the moon. The mission also successfully collected the first lunar samples brought back to earth.

Events are free and open to the public. All Space Considered Remembers Apollo 10 will also be streamed live on Griffith Observatory TV: https://www.youtube.com/user/GriffithObservatory.

“I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish. We propose to accelerate the development of the appropriate lunar space craft. We propose to develop alternate liquid and solid fuel boosters, much larger than any now being developed, until certain which is superior. We propose additional funds for other engine development and for unmanned explorations-explorations which are particularly important for one purpose which this nation will never overlook: the survival of the man who first makes this daring flight. But in a very real sense, it will not be one man going to the Moon-if we make this judgment affirmatively, it will be an entire nation. For all of us must work to put him there.” President John F. Kennedy, delivered in person before a joint session of Congress May 25, 1961  

http://www.griffithobservatory.org/programs/griffithtv.html

https://www.youtube.com/user/GriffithObservatory

A look back from NASA, May 24, 2019

50 Years Ago: Apollo 10 Clears the Way for the first Moon Landing.

“Houston, we are returning to Earth!” With those words, Apollo 10 Commander Thomas P. Stafford announced that the Trans Earth Injection (TEI), a 165-second burn of the Service Propulsion System (SPS) engine had been successfully completed while the spacecraft was behind the Moon and out of communications with Earth. Stafford and his crewmates Lunar Module Pilot Eugene A. Cernan and Command Module Pilot John W. Young had completed 31 orbits around the Moon during 61 hours and 37 minutes. Stafford and Cernan had tested the Lunar Module Snoopy and flown it to within 47,000 feet of the lunar surface while Young remained aboard the Command Module Charlie Brown.

Within minutes after TEI, the astronauts began a live color TV broadcast, providing lively commentary while showing viewers on Earth excellent scenes of the rapidly receding Moon. They also took some remarkable photographs. The apparent size of the Moon visibly decreasing during the course of the broadcast prompted Capcom Joe H. Engle to say, “You guys are really hauling the mail out there.” By the time the 53-minute broadcast ended, Apollo 10 was 3,900 miles from the Moon, but also slowing down as lunar gravity continued to exert its force on the spacecraft. Less than an hour later, the excited crew resumed their TV commentary, again showing the now slightly smaller Moon. After the seven-minute broadcast, the tired crew placed their spacecraft in the Passive Thermal Control (PTC) or barbecue mode to even out temperature extremes and settled down for their first sleep during the coast to Earth.

  
Two views of the receding Moon, taken from Apollo 10 shortly after TEI. Left: Primarily a view of the lunar
farside. Right: Mare Crisium is the large dark feature at left.

    
Two more views of the receding Moon, showing shadows along the day-night terminator on the
left edge of the Moon. The Sea of Tranquility is the large dark area near the Moon’s left limb.

Early the next day, Capcom Jack R. Lousma informed the crew that the TEI burn was so precise that the first planned midcourse correction during the coast to Earth was not needed. The crew conducted their next TV transmission, showing both the Earth and the Moon, with the Moon appearing about twice as big as the Earth, still some 210,000 miles away. Since the spacecraft was still in PTC mode, the Earth and Moon passed progressively through the spacecraft’s windows as it slowly rotated on its vertical axis. About an hour after the 11-minute broadcast, Apollo 10 entered the Earth’s gravitational sphere of influence and began accelerating. During their next TV broadcast about five hours later, the crew not only showed the Moon and Earth, now appearing to be about the same size, but turned the camera into the interior of the spacecraft. Young was clearly seen wearing a patch over his left eye to aid with dark adaptation for navigation sightings. Stafford and Cernan were also featured during the 29-minute broadcast. The crew then turned in for the night.

The next morning, Lousma informed the astronauts that the previous day the Apollo 11 crew had completed their water egress training in the Gulf of Mexico, including donning the Biological Isolation Garments (BIG) they would wear following splashdown to prevent any possible lunar microorganisms from escaping into Earth’s environment. The BIGs were a part of an overall quarantine program NASA established for all astronauts returning from Moon landings to prevent any possible biological contamination of the Earth. The rest of the day in space was relatively quiet, taken up with housekeeping and navigation duties. The only activity of note was that Stafford, Cernan, and Young became the first astronauts to shave in space, using brushless shaving cream. After Apollo 10 passed the halfway point in its return trip to Earth, the crew broadcast a TV transmission lasting about 10 minutes, showed the shrinking Moon and the growing Earth, and included many comments from the crew extoling the virtues of a space shave. Soon after, the crew settled down for their final sleep period in space.

    
View of the Moon (left) and Earth (right) at roughly the point when Apollo 10 crossed into the Earth’s
gravitational sphere of influence.

    
Left: Stafford at left and Young (upside down) at right during a TV transmission from Apollo 10.
Right: Cernan from the same TV transmission.

The first significant activity for their last day in space was the final color TV broadcast from a distance of about 43,000 miles from Earth. The 12-minute transmission included views of the now much larger Earth as well as comments from Young, Cernan, and Stafford summarizing their perspectives on their mission, finally closing by showing photographs of the Peanuts© characters Charlie Brown and Snoopy, after whom the crew named their spacecraft. Soon after the TV broadcast, the crew conducted a small midcourse correction maneuver, the only one required during the trans-Earth coast thanks to the very precise TEI burn. The nearly seven-second firing of the SPS engine refined the spacecraft’s trajectory for reentry and also reduced the g-forces the crew felt during the rapid deceleration. At the time of the correction burn, Apollo 10 was still some 30,000 miles above the Earth, and traveling at about 8,000 miles per hour, but the distance was rapidly decreasing as the spacecraft’s velocity increased. Less than three hours later, the crew separated the Command Module (CM) from the Service Module and turned its blunt heat shield into the direction of travel. By the time it made first contact with the Earth’s atmosphere 16 minutes later at an altitude of 400,000 feet, the point called Entry Interface, Apollo 10 was traveling at 24,791 miles per hour, the fastest reentry for any crewed space mission. To this the day, Stafford, Cernan, and Young hold the record as the fastest humans.

Apollo 10 floating beneath its three main parachutes, just moments before splashdown in the Pacific Ocean
east of American Samoa.

Apollo 10 reentered the Earth’s atmosphere on the night side over the southwest Pacific Ocean and continued northeast toward its splashdown target. The spacecraft entered a radio blackout period a few seconds later, caused by the buildup of ionized gases as a result of rapid deceleration. The blackout period lasted about three minutes, during which the crew experienced up to 6.7 gs of deceleration forces. At about 24,000 feet altitude, two drogue parachutes deployed to provide initial deceleration, followed at 10,000 feet by the three main parachutes that provided a splashdown velocity of about 22 miles per hour.

At precisely 11:53 AM CDT on May 26, 1969, Apollo 10 splashed down in the Pacific Ocean 460 miles east of American Samoa. The splashdown occurred shortly before sunrise, just 1.5 miles from the targeted point and 3.3 miles from the prime recovery ship the Landing Platform Helicopter USS Princeton.  Stafford, Cernan, and Young had completed a flight lasting 192 hours and 3 minutes. Within 39 minutes, recovery forces delivered the trio to the deck of the Princeton, where they were greeted by the ship’s skipper, Captain Charles M. Cruse, and dozens of cheering sailors. After a brief stay aboard the Princeton, Stafford, Cernan, and Young were helicoptered to Tafuna International Airport, Pago Pago, American Samoa, where they were greeted by Governor Owen S. Aspinall, his wife Taotafa, and 5,000 Samoan well-wishers during a brief ceremony. From there, they took a C-141 transport aircraft back to Ellington Air Force Base in Houston, where they were reunited with their families and welcomed by a cheering crowd. The CM Charlie Brown was offloaded from the Princeton in Hawaii on May 31, flown to Long Beach, California, on June 4, and then trucked to the North American Rockwell plant in Downey to undergo postflight inspection. Charlie Brown is currently on display at the London Science Museum.

    
Left: Apollo 10 astronauts being helped out of the CM by Navy recovery swimmers while a helicopter hovers
ready to hoist them aboard. Right: Apollo 10 astronauts (left to right) Cernan, Stafford, and Young exiting the
recovery helicopter on the deck of the USS Princeton.

    
Left: Apollo 10 crew of (left to right) Cernan, Stafford, and Young during welcoming ceremonies at Pago Pago,
American Samoa,with Governor and Mrs Aspinall. Right: Apollo 10 crew (left to right) Young, Stafford, and Cernan
upon their return to Ellington Air Force Base in Houston.

Apollo 10 did indeed sort out the unknowns, as Stafford had promised prior to the mission. Stafford, Cernan, and Young completed the dress rehearsal for the lunar landing mission, proving the operations necessary for navigating two spacecraft independently in lunar orbit. Their color television broadcasts throughout the flight brought the experience into everyone’s living rooms. The mission encountered very few anomalies, and those were easily and quickly corrected for the next mission, Apollo 11, the first mission to land humans on the Moon. Apollo 10 ensured that the goal that President John F. Kennedy’s set for the nation in 1961 to land a man on the Moon and return him safely to the Earth was within our grasp.

Apollo 10 CM Charlie Brown on display at the London Science Museum.
Credits: Don Thomas.

Enjoy a video summary of the Apollo 10 mission at:  https://archive.org/details/apollo_10_to_sort_out_the_unknowns

Read Stafford and Cernan’s recollections of the Apollo 10 mission in their oral histories with the JSC History Office.John Uri
NASA Johnson Space CenterLast Updated: May 24, 2019Editor: Kelli Mars

Tags:  Apollo, Apollo 10, NASA History

Beverly Hills, Calif. – “People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy, and I can’t do that as Bruce Wayne. As a man I’m flesh and blood, I can be ignored, I can be destroyed, but as a symbol, as a symbol I can be incorruptible. I can be everlasting.” — Bruce Wayne (Batman Begins)

Earlier this month was the eightieth anniversary of Batman. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in 1939.  Originally named the “Bat-Man,” the character is also referred to by such epithets as the Caped Crusader, the Dark Knight, and the World’s Greatest Detective.

“I must have a disguise. Criminals are a superstitious cowardly lot. So my disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts. I must be a creature of the night, black, terrible…a…a…a bat!” – Bruce Wayne – Detective Comics #33 (November 1939)

Paley Center curator David Bushman assembled a panel of experts for a podcast discussion (featuring Batmanwriter Devin Grayson, comic book experts Brian Cronin & Arlen Schumer, and more) on Batman’s legacy as one of pop culture’s most enduring and engaging characters.  

Hollywood, Calif. – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ will make its triumphant return to the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles as part of its North American Tour from June 6 – July 7, 2019. Cameron  Mackintosh’s spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’sTHE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA makes  its  triumphant  return to Los Angeles  as  part  of  its  North  American  Tour.

Critics are raving  that  this  breathtaking  production  is  “bigger  and  better  than  ever  before” and  features  a  brilliant  new scenic  design  by  Paul  Brown,  Tony  Award®-winning  original  costume design  by  Maria  Björnson, lighting  design  by  Tony  Award®-winner  Paule  Constable,  new  choreography  by  Scott  Ambler,  and  new  staging  by  director  Laurence  Connor. 

The  production,  overseen  by  Matthew  Bourne  and  Cameron Mackintosh,  boasts  many  exciting  special  effects  including  the show’s legendary  chandelier. 

The  beloved story  and  thrilling  score  –  with  songs  like  “Music  of  the  Night,” “All  I  Ask  Of  You,” and  “Masquerade” – will  be  performed  by  a  cast  and  orchestra  of  52,  making  this  PHANTOM  one  of  the  largest  productions now  on  tour.

Beverly Hills, Calif. – Do not miss Star Trek: Discovery–Fight for the Future, a dynamic two-floor exhibition illuminating the creative process behind the mammoth production.

Following the twists and turns of the acclaimed series’s second season, this curated collection of authentic costumes, props, makeup prosthetics, and concept art offers an exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpse of the unparalleled devotion to the artistry and craft involved in this latest chapter in the fabled Star Trek universe.

Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, Calif., is expected to welcome guests again May, 2019, after a stunning refurbishment, enhanced with bold new colors and pixie dust, among other enhancements.

Santa Clarita, Calif. – The City of Santa Clarita is excited to announce the winners of the 16^th annual “Bike to Work Day” Challenge that took place on Thursday, May 16, 2019. Local employees took to their bikes and braved the rainy weather while visiting five pit stops located throughout the City. Even with the inclement weather, over 19 business teams participated in the event, totaling over 122 reported employees! The following businesses were selected as category winners in the competition:

• Small Business – CRC Enterprises, Inc. with 13.33 percent participation

Prize – $75 gift certificate to a restaurant of choice and Juice It Up gift cards for the riders

• Medium Business – Grace to You with 5 percent participation 

Prize – $150 gift certificate to a restaurant of choice and Juice It Up gift cards for the riders

• Large Business – B&B Manufacturing with 10.86 percent participation

Prize – $250 gift certificate to a restaurant of choice and Juice It Up gift cards for the riders

The City would like to thank everyone who participated in this year’s Bike to Work Day! This competition helps raise awareness about green transportation alternatives in the City.

Visit the City’s Flickr page to see photos from the event. For additional information about the City of Santa Clarita’s annual Bike to Work Day Challenge, contact Laura Jardine, Project Technician for the City’s Environmental Services Division, at (661) 255-4376 or visitGreenSantaClarita.com.

Beverly Hills Calif. – The Paley Center welcomes Nickelodeon to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with some super shell-shocked screenings. Sit back and enjoy nonstop ninja action! 

Viewers can shellax and relax while watching over two hours of episodes from different TMNT eras. Plus gnarly giveaways while supplies last.    May 25 & 26: Heroes will Rise!–Featuring some of the Turtles’ most trusted allies; everyday heroes just helping to save the city one day at a time!

June 1 & 2: Mutant Mayhem–From evil aliens originating from Dimension X, to insect-like creatures used to mutate humans and animals, it’s total mutant madness this weekend!

June 8 & 9: Shred This!–Get ready to take in (and take down!) the Turtles’ ultimate archenemy: The Shredder! 

With the California NeighborPass, Guests Can Enjoy Over 175 Days of Unlimited Thrills for $149

Buy Now at California Neighbor Pass

Universal City, CA, May 23, 2019 – Get ready for “Jurassic World—The Ride” opening this summer atUniversal Studios Hollywood with the popular California Neighbor Pass, offering guests a premium opportunity to experience more than 175 days of up close and personal encounters with the ferocious Tyrannosaurus rex and behemoth Mosasaurus for $149.

With over 175 day of limitless fun at the unbeatable price of $149, the California Neighbor Pass is the ultimate ticket to an epic adrenaline rush with every visit to Universal Studios Hollywood.

Based on the global blockbuster hit, “Jurassic World—The Ride” is a spectacular new adventure that will take guests on a breathtaking excursion through the theme park as depicted in Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s film, JURASSIC WORLD.  It will soar to new heights with the addition of iconic dinosaurs from the movie, including the colossal Indominus rex and the magnificent aquatic Mosasaurus, which will mesmerize onlookers in her natural habitat.

And that’s just the beginning. From Saturday, June 22 through Sunday, August 11, “Dark Arts at Hogwarts™ Castle” returns to Universal Studios Hollywood with a mesmerizing display of light, music and special effects that unleashes the dark creatures and villains within “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.”

As darkness falls on Hogwarts castle, Dementors™, Death Eaters and other unspeakable creatures from Aragog and Mountain Trolls to Thestrals will cloak the castle with sinister images from the darker side of magic—even conjuring the visage of Lord Voldemort™ himself, until the Patronus spell—one of the most famous, difficult and powerful defense of the Dark Arts charms in the wizarding world—is cast.

This spectacular light projection experience is accompanied by an exclusive musical arrangement that emanates in a surround sound environment. It was conducted by prolific arranger William Ross and recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra in London, based on the original scores composed for the film series created by Academy Award®-winning composer John Williams.

And there’s more.  “Fast & Furious—Supercharged” takes guests on a wild ride that begins the moment they step aboard the world-famous Studio Tour. This high-octane, adrenaline-fueled thrill ride, featuring the stars of the hit movie, catapults guests into the high-stakes underground world of fast cars in a harrowing escapade—at perceived speeds in excess of 120 miles per hour—to save one of their own from an international crime cartel. 

Feeling happy? Guests are invited to join the Stuart, Tim and Tom on “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” for some outrageous entertainment that transforms guest recruits into beloved, gibberish-speaking Minions, before stepping into Super Silly Fun Land, the seaside carnival inspired from the original “Despicable Me” blockbuster film.

From “Transformers:  The Ride 3D,” “Revenge of the Mummy—The Ride” and “The Simpsons Ride” to “King Kong 360 3D,” “The Walking Dead” attraction and “WaterWorld,” the action is non-stop and the California Neighbor Pass is the one-way ticket to fun.

The California Neighbor Pass enables guests to choose any day for their first visit and return to enjoy Universal Studios Hollywood for more than 175 days over nine months, including select weekends, for $149 when purchased online. Special discounts on general admission tickets for friends and family to the theme park along with the popular “Halloween Horror Nights” are included in this season pass program. Additionally, pass members can enjoy sweepstakes opportunities and discounts at participating CityWalk locations.

More information about the California Neighbor Pass and other Annual Pass options, are available atwww.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com/tickets. Blackout dates and restrictions apply. Like Universal Studios Hollywood on Facebook and follow @UniStudios on Instagram and Twitter.

HARRY POTTER, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.  Harry Potter Publishing Rights © JKR. (s19)

Universal Studios Hollywood is The Entertainment Capital of L.A. and includes a full-day, movie-based theme park and Studio Tour. As a leading global entertainment destination, Universal Studios Hollywood delivers highly themed immersive lands that translate to real-life interpretations of iconic movie and television shows. Attractions include “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™” which features a bustling Hogsmeade village and such critically-acclaimed rides as “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” and “Flight of the Hippogriff™”, and the highly-anticipated Summer opening of “Jurassic World—The Ride.”  Other immersive lands include “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land” as well as “Springfield,” hometown of America’s favorite TV family, located adjacent to the award-winning “The Simpsons Ride™” and DreamWorks Theatre featuring “Kung Fu Panda Adventure.”  The world-renowned Studio Tour is Universal Studios Hollywood’s signature attraction, inviting guests behind-the-scenes of the world’s biggest and busiest movie and television production studio where they can also experience such thrill rides as “Fast & Furious—Supercharged” and “King Kong 360 3D.” The adjacentUniversal CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex also includes the all-new multi-million dollar, redesigned Universal CityWalk Cinema, featuring deluxe recliner seating in screening room quality theatres, and the “5 Towers” state-of-the-art outdoor concert stage.