The new blockbuster movie Star Trek, which recently hit the big screen, and has already cashed in millions of dollars worldwide, has also been sent to astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday. Paramount Pictures, the copyright owner for the new film, sent a copy of its work to the ISS Mission Control in Houston, which was then uplinked to orbit. NASA Astronaut Michael Barratt said that he planned to watch the movie on a laptop computer, inside the Unity module of the station.

“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. ‘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,” the astronaut said of the movie copy Expedition 19 received.

Aside from the new film, there is an extensive collection of uplinked movies and DVDs aboard the ISS, either sent directly from the Mission Control, or carried to orbit by past shuttle mission crews. According to NASA, the library will remain aboard the station indefinitely, so that future expedition crews could enjoy it as well. Watching movies in the orbital lab is not a new activity, as former astronauts have literally seen hundreds of films, at some points as regular activities, on specific nights of the week.

In addition to movies, there are numerous other forms of entertainment aboard the ISS for astronauts to enjoy during their little spare time. A large collection of books and music CDs ensures that the psychological parameters of the ISS are taken care of. Experts say that the prolonged isolation in an unfamiliar environment, such as that of microgravity, can cause adverse mental health effects, and that making the astronauts feel a bit like home is essential for the success of their missions.

In addition to music and reading, there are a variety of fitness machines aboard the station, as well as board games, which make up pleasant ways of passing time together on the lab. Musical instruments are also used from time to time, when expedition members that can play them engage in short jam sessions, for their own amusement and that of colleagues down in Houston. At one point, Astronaut Greg Chamitoff played a game of chess with colleagues at the Mission Control, and the match was broadcast live, for the general public to see.