20 Things You Somehow Missed In Gravity

Gravity's initial wide release date made sense within industry standards. Warner Bros. knew they had an awards-friendly hit on their hands, and October seemed like the best bet to capitalize on a strong response and box office. That said, the 4 October 2013 release date also holds significance for the world of space exploration.

The above mentioned date is the 56th anniversary of Sputnik 1's launch by the Soviet Union. This is monumental because it was the first artificial satellite to ever orbit the Earth, and it ushered in a new age of space travel and technology.

On the other, sadder side of things, the movie was released around the same time as the 2013 American government shutdown, which crippled many of its institutions, and NASA was not spared from the event.