Tom Cruise cleared to go to space next year

Earlier this year, NASA and SpaceX announced that it was working with the movie star on a film that will shoot while in orbit aboard the International Space Station.

TMZ, citing the 2020-2023 ISS official manifest, says that Tom is set to head to the ISS on the SpaceX Crew Dragon rocket and capsule in October 2021.

Little is known about the film, but it is reportedly an action-adventure movie and it is not a “Mission Impossible” flick. It will become the first movie ever filmed in space. 

After the otherworldly news was formally announced in the spring, several retired astronauts spoke about what Tom would experience in space. “The only thing on Earth that compares to space travel is going over Niagra Falls in a barrel while you’re on fire,” Scott Kelly told TMZ.

Both Scott and Roy Bridges Jr. added that usage of the space toilet will be a key part of Tom’s intense space training. 

Scott, who’s spend more time in space than any human being, said Tom needs to move very slowly aboard the ISS, as it’s not uncommon for first-time visitors to vomit because of zero gravity.

Tom’s training will run the gamut of getting in and out of the space capsule and wearing a spacesuit. Plus, he’ll have to learn many things that we take for granted, including how to make food and actually get it in his mouth. He’ll also get training on how to sleep and clean himself while in the ISS.

The astronauts said the “Top Gun” star will have to learn to prepare for a space emergency, such as space debris flying into the ISS. He’ll also be trained on surviving an ocean splashdown when he comes back to Earth.