Astronauts are not alien they are like us. They do all the things which we do like listen music, drink coffee, and put their spacesuits on one leg at a time. Although their work days can be grueling, there’s still time to kick back and catch a movie. And thanks to a 2016 Freedom of Information Act request by Matt Novak of Paleofuture, we know exactly what’s playing.
Science Fiction/Fantasy
There are also many movies that take NASA’s best and brightest far away from their normal surroundings. “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” movies are there, as is “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Avatar,” and one “Harry Potter” film.
Comedy
And then there are the wacky comedies. “Austin Powers” seems like a great way to unwind after a long day on the space station, as does “Hot Fuzz” and “Dodgeball.” Who wouldn’t want to shoot floating globules of milk out of their nose watching “Zoolander” with fellow astronauts?
Drama
As Suman Ghosh notes at The Conversation, infamous rule-breakers are conspicuously absent: there’s no “Thelma and Louise” or “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” nor is there “Dirty Harry,” “Rambo,” or “Rocky.” You don’t want a space mutiny on your hands, after all.