American actor Tom Cruise broke the limits of filmmaking when he shot the rock climbing scene without a body double in Mission: Impossible 2 (2000). Over the years, he pushed his edges even further, performing eye-catching stunts for movies like Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011), Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation (2015), The Mummy (2017), and more.

For now, he is on a mission to break another barrier of cinematography by shooting a movie in space.

Deadline, on May 4, 2020, first reported on the agreement between NASA, Tom Cruise, and Elon Musk’s SpaceX to shoot a movie aboard ISS (International Space Station). Later, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine made the news official with a tweet on May 5, 2020.

NASA is excited to work with @TomCruise on a film aboard the @Space_Station! We need popular media to inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists to make @NASA’s ambitious plans a reality.

The upcoming space flick is set to be directed by American director Doug Liman, but additional details are yet to be announced.

Although the project looks cool on paper, shooting a film in outer space comes with several risk factors, including falling debris, weightlessness, and isolation. Also, Tom Cruise must overcome a series of obstacles before he is deemed fit to get launched to the space station.

How Old Is Tom Cruise? Is Tom Cruise Too Old To Go To Space? 

An academic report published in 2017 suggests that the candidates who were younger or older than 40 years “were significantly less likely to receive invitations for interviews and were substantially less likely to be selected as an astronaut.“

However, there seem to be no certain age restrictions for the program. Astronauts much older than the Mission Impossible Fallout actor have gone into space.

Tom Cruise is 57 years and 11 months old (birthday: July 3, 1962) as of June 2020; whereas, the oldest astronaut to have been in space is John Glenn—who was 77 while serving his last mission in 1998.

Tom Cruise in July 2019 vs. Former Astronaut John Glenn before his last space mission in 1998 (Photo: Instagram/NASA)

Similarly, former astronauts like Franklin Story Musgrave and Dennis Tito were 61 and 60, respectively, when they went to space for their final assignments.

What About Any Pre-existing Health Conditions? Does Tom Cruise Have Any?

Tom Cruise has a reputation for performing action scenes on his own without the need for a body double. From jumping off a moving helicopter, hanging on the side of a plane to climbing up skyscrapers, he has done it all.

His tenacity to stay fresh has complemented his enigmatic personality so much that any challenge offered to him looks minute. Even in his late fifties now, he is enjoying an extraordinary career as a hard-core action hero. 

Therefore, Tom’s greatness has never been fazed by any issues, let alone a medical condition. Even during the turbulent times of the Pandemic we are facing now, Tom was spotted all-smiles and waiving to on-lookers in public. 

The credit to his youthful looks and good health goes to the way of life he has carefully planned. He has a fitness routine that even modern-day professional sports players may find hard to implement; and let’s not even talk about his daily diet of 15 snacks.

But there was a condition that haunted him till his early teenage life. He had Dyslexia that made it difficult for him to learn and read anything. The talented actor eventually trained himself to focus with the help of L. Ron Hubbard’s Study Technology, and the rest is history. 

Standards Tom Cruise Must Fulfill To Become An Astronaut

Vacuum above our Earth’s surface is an unforgiving environment, where only the best can survive. To remain on the safe side, Tom Cruise must pass at least the following requirements:

Minimum Educational Qualification And Flight Training 

NASA has set many standards for a person to get a chance to fly around Earth’s thermosphere; however, there are exceptions to this rule.

For instance, Tom Cruise can pass a US-approved test pilot program instead of getting a Master’s degree. But, he must complete 1000 hours on a jet plane serving as an in-command pilot and should also undergo physical training to be able to sustain a flight of several hours.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Tom Cruise (@tomcruise) on

Tom Cruise, a licensed private pilot since 1994, in a scene from Top Gun: Maverick (Photo: Instagram/Tom Cruise)

Physical Requirements: Blurry Vision And High B.P. Are Red Flags

A person must be of sound health to be selected as an astronaut. Though the upcoming movie is intended to be shot for entertainment purposes, Tom Cruise—along with the film crew—will be under real danger while attempting to film in space. So, a physical analysis of every cast and crew member is necessary before they are allowed to work at the space station. 

NASA has recommended that an astronaut should have good eyesight, and his blood pressure should not exceed 140/90 mm Hg under normal conditions. Likewise, a person should possess a height between 5 feet 2 inches to 6 feet 3 inches. Tom Cruise is over 5 feet 7 inches.

Mental Stability: Panic Is An Invitation For Disaster

Tom will have to learn to manage his stress and anxiety to be able to handle the pressure abroad the spaceship. Plus, he will need to remain calm in an emergency as rescue will be nearly 400 km downwards. 

Tom Cruise Is Thought To Be The King Of Marital Problems! Why Is He Allowed A Space Trip?

Space magazine suggests that marital problems could lead to the disqualification of an applicant. If that's the case, many argue that he should have been rejected because of the re-occurring troubles he faced in his dating and marital life.  

But there might be several factors because of which he may not have been rejected by the space authorities despite strict requirements. One major reason may be that his successful profile as an actor and world-famous personality. Even though his personal dating and marital life may not be perfect, he has been inspiring millions through his professional works and charities. 

The other reason may be the tenure of time he and his crews might send in space. In reality, he might spend less time in space than an average astronaut-—whose trip usually lasts around six months.

Even though a movie production can take over 800 days, the actual shooting could finish in only about 100 days, according to Stephen Follows.

Tom Must Prepare Extensively As a Professional   

In addition to meeting the physical and mental standards, Tom Cruise will also have to go through a series of training to cope with the conditions in outer space. 

Primarily, he will have to prepare for weightlessness for which he may fly around in a KC-135. The plane stimulates microgravity and lets astronauts feel weightless for 20-25 seconds.

Tom will also go through The Precision Air-Bearing Floor procedure, which will help him to learn how to move objects in outer space. Lastly, The Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory might help the actor to practice moving around in space and using vehicles accordingly.

What's the End-game? What're the Chances Of Success And Failure? 

Still, It will not come as a surprise if the cast and crew members later abandon this movie; it is a gamble and can turn at any time into a life or death situation. But, if Tom Cruise and his team can succeed in this expedition, it will begin a new era of movie-making.

Given the determination and enigma of a personality, Tom Cruise is, he may actually get the movie done. But in the meantime, Tom is now planning to complete the filming of his Mission Impossible 7 movie by building a Corona-free village at an abandoned RAF site in the United Kingdom.Â