With NASA making new inroads into space – it just announced it would be returning astronauts to the moon by 2024 – a more extraordinary rumour is also recircling; Tom Cruise is heading to the International Space Station.
Previously, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine confirmed that he was working Tom Cruise and director Doug Liman on a yet unnamed film project involving shooting parts of a movie inside the ISS.
Now, sources are saying that both Cruise and Liman – along with a potential female co-star – will take off using a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, and travel to the ISS.
Why would NASA allow Tom Cruise up into the ISS, a place of science? According to Bridenstine, the hope is that a big Hollywood film could do for NASA what Top Gun did for the US Navy.
There was a day when I was in elementary school and I saw Top Gun. From that day, I knew I was going to be a Navy pilot, “said the NASA Administrator.
“If we can get Tom Cruise to inspire an elementary kid to join the Navy and be a pilot, why can’t we get Tom Cruise to inspire the next Elon Musk? That’s what we need.”
The trip is being organized by Axiom Space, which previously announced it would be selling tickets to the ISS, before building their own orbiting laboratory/five star space hotel.
Cruise and Liman previously worked together on Edge of Tomorrow in 2014.
The flight is supposed to take off next year, however that is still slightly up in the air. Tom Cruise only recently got back to production on the latest Mission Impossible movie, and there are possible pandemic concerns sending private citizens up to the Space Station.
In case you missed it, NASA has recommitted to sending astronauts to the moon by 2024.
Part of the mission will be to build habitats, to allow us for greater exploration in space (naturally, we’re talking Mars). Oh, and the UAE has sent two astronauts to NASA’s Johnson Space center for further training.
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