In what might well have been a gesture of good luck, NASA has released a stunning photo set that mirrors many of the scenes featured in the hit movie "Gravity."
The photo set was released before the Oscars awards show and given that the movie went on to win 7 Oscars, NASA's well wishing may have indeed worked wonders.
The science fiction was directed by Alfonso Cuarón and starred Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. The movie's central plot revolves around a pair of astronauts' struggle to survive following an incident involving the Kessler syndrome. The Kessler syndrome is a theoretical scenario involving multiple collisions between objects floating in low Earth orbit. Putting aside the nightmare scenario of cascading collisions between orbital debris, "Gravity" showcases the beauty and splendor of space giving moviegoers a glimpse into something that is normally reserved for elite astronauts.
To pay homage to the landmark movie, NASA has released a number of photos taken from orbit. The photo set includes stunning images of Earth from orbit, daring spacewalks, satellite deployments, as well as images of various astronauts and space craft. The entire photo set can be viewed here.
The producers of "Gravity" went to great pains to use elements that can actually be seen in real life space missions. The director's effort and attention to detail really shows when scenes from the movie and the images released by NASA are compared. Moreover, NASA astronauts were happy to see certain experiments incorporated into "Gravity." Research about growing plants in space was one of the elements featured in the movie.
"I was pleased to have the movie show something that we actually do on the space station," said NASA astronaut Cady Coleman, a crew member of Expedition 26. "Up in space, we are forced to grow things in an alternative way. Just growing them in the dirt is not always the most logistically feasible option. In trying to understand those lessons, we learn how to minimize resources and still grow something." Coleman helped Sandra Bullock develop her role for the movie "Gravity."
"Gravity" won a total of 7 awards including: best director, best original score, best visual effects, best sound mixing, best sound editing, best cinematography and best film editing.
Other notable movies that did well at the 86th Academy Awards include "12 Years a Slave," "Dallas Buyers Club," "Blue Jasmine" and "Frozen." The hit drama "12 Years a Slave" won the coveted best Picture award as well as the best adapted screenplay award and the best supporting actress award. "Dallas Buyers Club" won the best actor awards, the best supporting actor award and the best makeup and hairstyling award. "Blue Jasmine" won the best actress award and "Frozen" won both the best animated feature film award and the best original song award.
