SpaceX

SpaceX and NASA are about to once again send astronauts into space -- laying even more groundwork for what might become a regular thing ... and we'll be streaming the event live, with lift-off slated for 7:27 PM ET.

Elon Musk's shuttle program is embarking on yet another launch Sunday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida -- where the SpaceX team is firing its famed Dragon capsule into orbit ... only this time, it's carrying a few more helmeted cadets on the mission.

Three American astronauts are signed up for this job -- NASA's Mike Hopkins, Shannon Walker and Victor Glover -- and so is a Japanese astronaut named Soichi Noguchi. Check out their suits, BTW ... super sleek compared to what they used to rock back in the day.

That's technology, baby!!! Also ... fashion.

The 4-person crew is heading to the International Space Station, where they'll conduct scientific research for NASA. This is the second time this year that SpaceX has sent up humans in partnership with NASA -- in May, they sent up astronauts Doug Hurly and Bob Behnken to the ISS for a couple months ... now, they're upping the manpower. It's the first SpaceX commercial crew trip to the ISS.

This latest mission is a huge milestone -- it marks a huge pivot away from our reliance on Russian space travel -- something the U.S. has been heavily reliant on in recent years.

The fact SpaceX is helping with these types of trips more regularly proves it's a leading company for a lot more travel in the near future -- which could open the door for space tourism. The possibilities are endless, really.

The launch is scheduled for 7:27 PM ET. Houston, we have lift-off ... hopefully.

Elon Musk has said he's moving shop -- as in Tesla shop -- to the Lonestar State, but he said something Friday night that made us wonder if the plan's still a go.

We got the Tesla/SpaceX honcho in WeHo Friday night at Boa, and asked about a couple of things. Our photog wanted the lowdown on Elon's plan to divest himself of his worldly possessions, ala John Lennon's "Imagine."  We specifically asked about the legendary home he sold that was once owned by Gene Wilder.

Elon told us he sold it to Gene's nephew, on condition -- that he retains its character. Elon sold it under market, possibly because he's a big Wilder fan -- we're guessing "Willy Wonka."

As we reported, Elon's shedding 2 massive homes in California ... Gene's home which was listed at $9.5 million and another estate listed at $30 million.

As for the move ... it seemed Elon was moving to Austin, and he said a few days ago he planned to open a Tesla giga-factory in Texas.

But, Friday night we ask Elon, "Is that why you sold the house because you're taking Tesla out of California. Are You Leaving?" He replies, "No, I'm not."

Tom Cruise could be a little strapped for cash these days, because we're thinkin' he had issues paying for a train ticket, so he just rode from the top!!!

Tom was in Norway filming the 7th installment of the "Mission Impossible" franchise, and he was true to form, riding on the top of a speeding train as some very impressed Norwegians followed the train in their car.

The guys actually got Tom's attention. The 58-year-old waved to the guys as he was riding high above the tracks, but that will pale by comparison to his latest plan -- getting hurled into space courtesy of Elon Musk and SpaceX to shoot scenes for an undisclosed movie project.

Tom's expected to blast off in October 2021.

Pretty cool.

Most Hollywood types say, "Let's do lunch" ... but for Tom Cruise, it's "Let's do LAUNCH" -- and now he knows when he'll make his virgin voyage to space to film a movie.

Tom's hitching a ride on a SpaceX Crew Dragon rocket and capsule to the International Space Station in October 2021 to start filming in orbit ... according to the 2020-2023 ISS official manifest.

Mr. "Mission Impossible" will be joined by "Edge of Tomorrow" director Doug Liman as the pioneering film project gets underway.

As we reported ... Tom is working hand in hand with SpaceX honcho Elon Musk and NASA to film an action-adventure flick aboard the ISS. The film, which will become the first shot in outer space, is reportedly NOT a "Mission Impossible" flick.

Hopefully, Tom takes some sage advice from retired astronauts Scott Kelly and Roy Bridges Jr. ahead of his big adventure ... remember, the famous astronauts say boning up on toilet science is extremely important!!!

SpaceX and NASA's #LaunchAmerica journey is on the verge of completing a successful mission -- they're coming back to Earth, and we're streaming it live.

American astronauts Robert Behnken and Doug Hurley -- who were shot into orbit back in May aboard SpaceX's Dragon Endeavor -- are set to touch down Sunday. Their spacecraft is scheduled to splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, FL at 11:45 AM PT

They've been in orbit aboard the ISS for the past 62 days and made 1,024 revolutions around our planet ... this after Elon Musk and co. sent them up in an effort to get more American space missions kickstarted ... not to mention potential space tourism in the near future.

The initial launch went off without a hitch -- after the Falcon 9 rocket took Bob and Doug to a certain point ... it landed safely aboard a ship waiting out at sea. The boys then took control from there, and once they were close enough ... they docked with the ISS.

The #LaunchAmerica mission marks the first time in nearly a decade since Americans have been up among the stars.

Elon Musk is showing off his pride and joy -- no, not the Falcon 9 -- little baby A-12 ... but he's also making it clear the kid's following in big footsteps, so he better get his spoon skills up!

The Tesla and SpaceX honcho posted a pic of himself cradling X Æ A-Xii, (it's pronounced X Ash A12) ... adorable, right? But, Elon's caption -- in German for some reason -- translates to "The baby cannot use a spoon yet."

We're pretty sure Papa Musk is joking because A-12 isn't even 3-months-old yet!!! While we have no doubt Elon sets a high bar for his kids, there are limits ... even for the son of Musk.

SpaceX's latest mission's off to a good start, thanks to the same rocket booster that launched NASA astronauts on their journey to the International Space Station in May ... and here's the incredible footage.

The Falcon 9 launched the ANASIS-II Mission rocket on Monday around 5:30 PM ET from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, this time to set a communications satellite into orbit.

Videographer Ryan Chylinski utilized a slo-mo camera and zoom lens to capture the stunning moment ... and the telescope-tracking vid shows the rocket in great detail.

As we reported ... Falcon 9 launched 2 American astronauts -- Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken -- into orbit on May 30, then returned to the ground on a remote droneship.

It was awesome and picture-perfect, as the 2 U.S. astronauts hitched their space capsule onto the International Space Station.

It went down Sunday AM Earth time ... 19 hours after the Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

It's the first time in the history of U.S. space exploration that astronauts were hurled into parts unknown by a rocket manufactured by a private company -- in this case, Elon Musk's SpaceX.

A cam from the Space Station captured the docking procedure ... check out the red, white and green lights that signify the progress as the Dragon capsule bellies up to its host.

The 2 astronauts -- Robert Behnken and Doug Hurley -- took over the controls during part of the maneuver. The actual docking was computer-driven.

The docking follows a picture-perfect launch Saturday afternoon. The docking indicated that the first portion of the test flight with crew aboard was successful.

The trip will be considered a complete success once the astronauts return to Earth in the near future, opening the way for more travel to the space station and orbit by astronauts and perhaps space tourists in the years to come.

Elon Musk and co. are officially ready for round 2 of takeoff, just days after calling off their monumental space mission ... and TMZ is streaming the event live.

A couple of NASA astronauts are set to be launched into orbit Saturday via SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and accompanying the Crew Dragon capsule, which will be blasting off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission has been dubbed, Demo-2.

Of course, Saturday's mission was supposed to go down Wednesday -- but it got pushed back due to bad weather ... something the space team there didn't wanna toy with and risk. Now, they're running it back with a predicted 50/50 chance of acceptable conditions.

The team is sending these astronauts to the International Space Station -- 250 miles or so above the Earth. This would mark the first spaceflight launched from U.S. soil in just under a decade. The point of the mission is to see if we're able to taxi astronauts to and from the ISS and Earth -- something Elon's rocketship proved to be capable of a few years ago when SpaceX first secured a multi-billion dollar contract with NASA and passed some tests.

Looks like the two American astronauts being sent up there -- Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken -- are already suited up and aboard the spacecraft. SpaceX says all systems are a go (for now) ... and everything seems primed for an actual launch -- barring any unforeseen mishaps (like an explosion at the launchpad or a lightning storm or something).

Originally Published -- 11:53 AM PT

Elon Musk will tell ya, making history makes ya hungry ... which is why when bad weather scrapped his SpaceX launch earlier this week, he worked up a big burger-sized appetite.

The SpaceX honcho hit up Five Guys with his 2 bodyguards for some tasty burgers Wednesday, not long after the attempt to launch 2 NASA astronauts to the International Space Station got postponed ... until Saturday at 3:22 PM ET.

Les Hatter, Five Guys' VP of Operations of the Central Florida franchise, tells TMZ … Elon stopped at a location in West Melbourne -- which is about 45 minutes from the Kennedy Space Center, where the launch will hopefully happen for real this time.

Conveniently, there's a Tesla supercharging station less than 100 feet from the front door of the fast-food joint ... which had to have made parking a breeze for the electric vehicle company boss.

We're told, Musk sent his guys in to order the food while he stayed out front and chatted with some guests as they were coming and going.

As for what they got -- a round of Little Cheeseburgers (don't let the name fool ya, they're quite hefty), fries and a drink ... and got 'em to go.

As you know, SpaceX is trying to become the first commercial aerospace company to send humans into Earth's orbit. The mission is dubbed Demo-2, and SpaceX's Crew Dragon will take off from the historic Pad, 39A, which famously launched Apollo 11 in 1969 ... en route to the first moon landing.

The 2 veteran astronauts on this mission are 49-year-old Robert Behnken and 53-year-old Douglas Hurley, and it should take them about 19 hours to travel from Florida to the space station ... God willing, and weather permitting.

Elon Musk is having a rough week -- one of his SpaceX rockets ignited into a massive ball of fire Friday, and yet ... there's still some good news.

The company's 4th prototype of its Starship rocket was fueled up on a south Texas launchpad when it burst into flames. You can hear SpaceX engineers discussing something about a possible methane leak, though it's unclear if that was from the rocket or something nearby the pad.

Either way ... something lit Elon's baby on fire. Luckily, the test was unmanned -- unlike the Crew Dragon spacecraft, they hope to send into orbit on Saturday from Cape Canaveral.

As you know, Wednesday's launch was scrubbed due to crappy weather in Florida. Right now, the launch still only has a 50/50 shot of going off as scheduled. It rains a lot in FL and could get pushed to Sunday.

As for the Starship rocket ... SpaceX hopes that will eventually be able to carry large numbers of space tourists -- up to 100 at a time -- into space, and eventually to Mars.

Elon Musk is looking to make more space history ... SpaceX is attempting to launch 2 NASA astronauts to the International Space Station ... and TMZ will be live streaming the mission.

Dubbed Demo-2, the mission marks the first time ever a commercial aerospace company is sending humans into Earth's orbit. The milestone is a decade in the making, as human spaceflight finally returns to American soil.

The launch of SpaceX's Crew Dragon is set for 4:33 PM ET from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida ... and the Falcon 9 rocket carrying the capsule is taking off from the historic Pad 39A, which famously launched Apollo 11 way back in 1969, the first moon landing.

SpaceX and NASA are streaming the launch from takeoff all the way until Crew Dragon docks with the ISS, and it should take the capsule about 19 hours to travel from Florida to the space station.

The two veteran astronauts aboard the Dragon spacecraft are 49-year-old Robert Behnken and 53-year-old Douglas Hurley.

NASA says it wants to keep the astronauts on the ISS until another Crew Dragon capsule is ready to send more humans on SpaceX's next mission. Robert and Douglas say they're expecting to spend 1 to 3 months in space before returning home in Crew Dragon, which will land in the Atlantic Ocean.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Crew Dragon into Earth's upper atmosphere, where the capsule will separate and use its own thrusters to make its way to the ISS. The capsule is fully autonomous, so the astronauts won't have much to do, unless something crazy happens. The rocket, meanwhile, should land on a drone ship after launch.

SpaceX has a $2.6 BILLION contract with NASA ... and the launch marks the first time the United States is sending its own astronauts into space since 2011, when the Space Shuttle Program ended.

Oh, and the capsule has a toilet, which could come in handy during the 19-hour ride.

Tom Cruise is getting valuable outer space tips before he films aboard the International Space Station, and famous astronauts say boning up on toilet science is super important!!!

Retired astronauts Scott Kelly and Roy Bridges Jr. tell TMZ ... Tom's going to go through loads of training before blasting off to the ISS. Now, this might sound like a joke, but they agree the john will be a key part of his studies. They say it's no space cakewalk when nature calls in zero gravity.

As you know ... Tom is set to boldly go where no action star has ever gone before, going into orbit to film a new flick, and partnering with NASA, as well as Elon Musk's SpaceX.

Scott's commanded the ISS on 3 expeditions, and spent more time in space than any human being ... so he knows what he's talking about when he says Tom needs to move slowly aboard the ISS. It's common for most newbies to puke. Again, not pretty in zero-G.

On the positive side -- we think -- he adds, the only thing on Earth that compares to space travel is going over Niagra Falls in a barrel while you're on fire.

Roy, who piloted the Space Shuttle Challenger back in 1985, tells us Tom's body is in for a shock -- blood rushing to his head instead of his feet, due to the ol' zero-G.

Scott and Roy also told us what kind of training Tom can expect before getting on the ISS ... like how to move around safely, how to get in and out of the capsule, how to wear a spacesuit, how to make food AND get it in his mouth, plus how to sleep and clean himself -- think birdbath.

Oh, and we're told Tom's also gotta learn how to prepare for a space emergency, like space debris pummeling the ISS ... and how to survive an ocean splashdown when he comes back to Earth.

Sounds like TC's got his work cut out for him ... but this space mission is definitely possible!!!

Tom Cruise is set to boldly go where no actor's gone before -- like, for real -- by making a movie in space, and NASA's fully on board for the project.

Yep, Mr. 'Mission Impossible' is going into orbit!!! NASA's Jim Bridenstine, says they're "excited to work with Tom Cruise on a film aboard the International Space Station." As for why the space agency would be down for this -- Bridenstine says, "We need popular media to inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists to make @NASA's ambitious plans a reality."

Translation: Tom onboard the ISS is the best PR we'll ever get!!!

The news comes on the heels of reports that Cruise and Elon Musk's SpaceX were in the early developmental stages of partnering with NASA on an action-adventure flick.

Now, we know the Space Station's involved, but it's unclear how Musk's company will factor in -- maybe they'll be responsible for delivering Tom to the ISS. BTW, the movie reportedly is NOT a 'Mission Impossible' flick.

As you know, Cruise likes to perform his own stunts, so it seems like he'll be adding astronaut to his resume.