[ad_1]
- Actor Tom Cruise and director Doug Liman are scheduled to depart Earth aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft in October 2021.
- The mission is reportedly tied to an upcoming movie, though the details are pretty scant.
- SpaceX has been open to the notion of space tourism, but has yet to launch a paying client into space.
If you don’t like actor Tom Cruise, I have good news for you. If you love actor Tom Cruise, I have good news for you too. Believe it or not, it’s the same news: SpaceX has agreed to shoot Mr. Cruise into space! Hooray for everyone!
If you’re an enemy of cruise ships, you’ll be glad he’s not on planet Earth for a while, but if you’re a fan, you’ll be glad to hear he’s going into space with director Doug. Liman and (probably) a co-star so they can explore and maybe even shoot some scenes for a new movie. That is pretty amazing.
The whole thing is considered a “tourist mission” for SpaceX. The company has been optimistic about the idea of generating income by taking private (and very wealthy) people into space for whatever reasons they want, but in this case, it is for film purposes.
The two (probably three) passengers will be flown to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. At the helm of the ship will be Michael López-Alegría, a true spaceflight veteran and the man who holds a pair of spacewalk records. He knows a thing or two about space and would seem to be the perfect guide for the actor, the director, and anyone else accompanying him.
Then it is confirmed that @OrderMLA is flying the @Axiom_espacio @SpaceX #Dragon tourist mission with Director @DougLiman And Tom Cruise. A seat yet to be filled. They will be released in October 2021. pic.twitter.com/dn6SLvCOGz
– Space Shuttle Almanac (@ShuttleAlmanac) September 19, 2020
As revealed by Space Shuttle Almanac on Twitter, the flight is expected to take place in October 2021, which is over a year. That means a few things, but the most important thing to keep in mind is that there is plenty of time for those plans to change. This wouldn’t exactly be the first time a SpaceX “sightseeing” flight was announced and then never carried out, but the fact that the mission includes work on a film seems to give it a bit more weight. We’ll have to wait and see.
It is unclear if the mission is just one of many in the film or if it is simply an educational outing for the actor and director to ensure the realism of an upcoming film. Whatever the case, thanks to the long lead times of Hollywood productions, we may not see the fruits of their labor for some time. In any case, it’s definitely great that SpaceX is open to “tourist” missions, but as we have yet to see one get off the ground.
Mike Wehner has reported on technology and video games for the past decade, covering the latest news and trends in virtual reality, wearable devices, smartphones, and future technology. Most recently, Mike served as a technology editor at The Daily Dot and has been featured in USA Today, Time.com, and many other print and web media. His love of reporting is second only to his addiction to games.
[ad_2]
