Russia picks cast for movie to be shot in space

MOSCOW: Russia has picked four people to serve as nonprofessional crew members and actors in what is planned to be the first movie to be shot in outer space, Russia's Roscosmos space agency said on Thursday.

Some of them are scheduled to be launched on a Soyuz MS-19 craft on Oct. 5 to be delivered to the International Space Station, which orbits Earth at an altitude of around 220 miles (354 km), according to Roscosmos and NASA. "Among other things, they will have to take centrifuge tests, vibration stand tests, perform introductory and training flights on a zero-gravity plane, undergo parachute training," Roscosmos said.