Russia invites Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos & Richard Branson to launch of rocket taking crew to record first feature-film shot in space

The head of Russia's space agency has invited Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson to the launch of Soyuz MS-19, he said on Wednesday. It will take a director and actress to shoot a movie on the International Space Station.

Speaking to Russia's Channel One, Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin revealed that he would like to see the three famous space entrepreneurs come to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in October.

He later confirmed the invitation on Twitter, directing it at Musk.

"On October 5, a new expedition will leave for the International Space Station," he wrote. "We are planning to send a cinematographic group of the leading television channel as part of it."

"If you succeed, I would be glad to see you on October 5 in the cradle of world cosmonautics – at the Baikonur cosmodrome."

The Soyuz MS-19 will send Russian film director Klim Shipenko and actress Yulia Peresild to the International Space Station to shoot the movie 'Vyzov' – which means 'Challenge' in Russian. The two plan to spend a week filming scenes for what will be the first feature film to be recorded in space. They will then return on the Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft with cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky, who has been on the manned satellite since April.

Musk is the founder of SpaceX, which last year became the first private company to send astronauts to the ISS. It has also become a key partner for NASA, having won many contracts to work with the American space agency.

Like Musk, both Bezos and Branson are entrepreneurs who decided to pump their fortunes into space exploration. In July this year, Branson traveled to the edge of space as a passenger on board Virgin Galactic Unity 22, a rocket-powered spaceplane made by his own company. A few days later, Bezos flew with his brother Mark Bezos on a New Shepard 16, built by his firm Blue Origin.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!