THE SKY IS FALLING: When the people who were putting together the premiere of the movie "Space Junk," decided to link its release to real-world events, like the plunge back to earth of the failed Russian Mars probe, that made the St. Louis Science Center the logical place for a debut.

Prior to that decision, the filmmakers were planning the debut for February in Houston. But when they went looking for a locale for a mid-January premiere, they found that Houston had a conflict.

That's why the world premiere of "Space Junk" was held last week at the St. Louis Science Center's Omnimax Theater, and why such A-listers as Don Kessler, a former NASA scientist and the so-called "Father" of space debris who now lives in North Carolina, were in town.

Melissa Butts, the film's director, and producer Kimberly Rowe, both from Minneapolis, attended the premiere last Friday with about 20 members of their families. Some 600 Science Center members also were at the premiere.

The film opened to the public Saturday and will run through June 1.