posted April 29, 2008 11:19 PM               

NASA list of books, movies, television shows, and music maintained on the International Space Station (ISS) for recreational/off-duty consumption [PDF 1.76mb] as released by the Johnson Space Center on April 23, 2008 in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

The document does not list two books that were brought and left on the ISS by spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi: "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" by Robert Heinlein and "Faust" by Johanne Wolfgang von Goethe. "I say I am starting a library -- there are books up there, but anyway I'm the first one to say it should be a library, so I am taking up a couple of books," said Simyoni as to why he brought them.

The list is also missing the DVD copies of the TV show "Firefly" and its theatrical spinoff "Serenity," brought to the ISS by "Browncoat Astronaut" Steve Swanson on STS-117.

posted May 28, 2008 04:04 PM               

The blockbuster movie "Iron Man" reaches new milestones every day and now the film has achieved astonishing new heights -- literally!

Astronaut Garrett Reisman, currently orbiting Earth in the International Space Station (ISS), apparently couldn't wait to get back home to see "Iron Man." So, he'll be watching a copy of the film being beamed up the ISS for his viewing pleasure!

posted May 15, 2009 06:19 PM               

NASA Astronaut to Watch New Star Trek Movie Among the Stars

Moviegoers likely will sit in crowded theaters to watch the new "Star Trek" movie, which premiered on May 8, but not NASA astronaut Michael Barratt. He will have the opportunity to watch the film aboard the International Space Station, while he and two crewmates fly 220 miles above Earth. The only thing missing will be the popcorn.

Paramount Pictures transferred "Star Trek" to NASA's Mission Control in Houston, which then uplinked the film to the space station on Thursday, May 14. Barratt plans to watch the film on a laptop computer inside the Unity module.

"I remember watching the original 'Star Trek' series and, like many of my NASA coworkers, was inspired by the idea of people from all nations coming together to explore space," said Barratt. "'Star Trek' blended adventure, discovery, intelligence and story telling that assumes a positive future for humanity. The International Space Station is a real step in that direction, with many nations sharing in an adventure the world can be proud of."

There is a collection of DVDs and uplinked movies aboard the space station. The DVDs were delivered during previous shuttle and station missions and will remain aboard for the enjoyment of future crews.

Some crews have had movie nights as regular activities. Former station astronaut Greg Chamitoff and his crewmates viewed the entire "Star Trek" series as a regular weekly event.

Aside from watching movies and television shows, space station astronauts have a number of options for their leisure and personal time, such as reading books or magazines, listening to music, and playing musical instruments and board games. Chamitoff played chess in orbit with ground teams from station control centers around the world and the public. During one game, the public voted on the next move, choosing from four possibilities that students from Stevenson Elementary School in Bellevue, Wash., suggested.

Films, books and music are important aspects of psychological support for astronauts on long-duration missions.

Barratt launched to the space station aboard a Soyuz spacecraft in March. He is scheduled to return to Earth on space shuttle Endeavour's STS-127 mission in June. His station crewmates are Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka and Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. All three will become part of the station's first six-person crew, Expedition 20, when three new crew members arrive on May 29.