At Anorak: "The World in My Window: A Select Filmography of the Space Shuttle.

My new article at Anorak is a select filmography or history of the space shuttle in film. 

It's called "The World in My Window" and it gazes at the many times the sturdy shuttle has been a supporting player in contemporary or "realistic" space films.   

Among the films noted: Moonraker (1979), Hangar 18 (1980), Lifeforce (1985), Space Camp (1986), The Core (2003), and of course, the Oscar-winning Gravity (2013).

Here's a snippet:

ALTHOUGH Alfonso Cuaron’s blockbuster film Gravity (2013) earned a whopping seven Academy Awards last Sunday night, one crucial supporting player didn’t pick up the Honorary Oscar it so clearly deserved: NASA’s space shuttle.

For thirty-five years now, this durable “space truck” — known officially as the “Space Transportation System” — has appeared in many space movies of the contemporary or realistic variety.

In fact, the shuttle may just be Hollywood’s most oft-seen spaceship, rivalling even Star Trek’s U.S.S. Enterprise in terms of its appearances.

In other words, every time a Hollywood movie is set “now” or in the near future — and it must feature scenes set in space — NASA’s space shuttle is the go-to vehicle to take protagonists there.

In real life, this re-usable space craft flew 135 missions and was retired, officially, by NASA in 2011.  But if Gravity is any example,  the shuttle may continue to have a thriving Hollywood after-life.  The shuttle’s career in Hollywood has seen the craft visit comet tails, land on passing asteroids, and even recover strange alien life forms.

In lieu of a stirring Academy montage, below is a select filmography of the space shuttle’s most dramatic silver screen appearances cross the last several decades.

As you’ll no doubt notice, the shuttle has acted alongside some of the biggest stars in the business…

Please check out the entire article, and let me know what you think!