Russian actor blasts off to attempt a world first: a movie in space

MOSCOW, Oct 5 (Reuters) – A Russian actress and a movie director blasted off for the Global House Station on Tuesday, beating Tom Cruise in the race to shoot the initially film in place.

The Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft is established to dock at 1212 GMT at the station, which orbits Earth at an altitude of close to 220 miles (354 km).

Russian point out media delivered blanket and patriotic coverage in the run-up, with a countdown clock working on Channel A person and news anchors framing the advancement as a significant breakthrough by Russia that the relaxation of the globe is watching intently.

The start to film the motion picture “The challenge” places Russia on study course to beat the United States in the latest chapter of the space race. Actress Yulia Peresild and director Klim Shipenko will arrive at the cosmos in advance of Cruise, whose programs to blast off on a SpaceX rocket for an as-however-untitled Hollywood film ended up announced by NASA past 12 months.

Russia’s very own space business has in new many years been dogged by delays, accidents and corruption scandals, although U.S.-based personal companies backed by prosperous businessmen these as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have created new spaceships.

Peresild and Shipenko ended up accompanied at the launch of their 12-working day mission by two Russian cosmonauts.

Russian opposition with the United States in area was a hallmark of the Chilly War. Moscow released the initially satellite and put the initial man and girl in room, but NASA conquer it to the Moon landing. Additional not long ago, they have cooperated aboard the ISS, where cosmonauts and astronauts have lived aspect by aspect for decades.

“Room is where by we grew to become pioneers and we nonetheless preserve a confident lead regardless of all the things,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained right after the start.

“Of course, other individuals are stepping on (our) toes but it is obvious that there is competition in a excellent perception. For our country, a flight like this, that popularises our achievements and the concept of space in normal, is very good news.”

In the film, Peresild performs a medical professional who is questioned to vacation to the house station to help save a cosmonaut’s lifetime. Cosmonaut crew customers are also established to appear.

Director Klim Shipenko, whose top of 1.9 metres (6 feet 2 inches) would make the flight in a tiny capsule in particular tough, has now mentioned he is hunting ahead to a Mars-based mostly sequel.

The rocket was released from the Baikonur cosmodrome which Russia leases on the steppes of Kazakhstan.

Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov Enhancing by Andrew Osborn and Peter Graff

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