NASA

Elon Musk, we have a problem.

SpaceX's much-hyped high-altitude test flight of Starship -- a spacecraft designed to take people and cargo to the moon and Mars -- ended in a fireball as it crash-landed Wednesday in South Texas.

Video shows the large reusable capsule, which is supposed to land vertically, came down way too hard and instantly exploded. However, even though the footage is crazy ... it was not unexpected.

Musk predicted Starship would likely crash land, but said data gathered in the test flight would be critical in moving the mission forward. SpaceX stated ... "With a test such as this, success is not measured by completion of specific objectives but rather how much we can learn."

The guy who used to run Israel's space security program is sounding the alarm -- claiming aliens are real, and they're secretly working with our governments and biding their time.

Haim Eshed reportedly told the Israeli publication Yediot Aharonot he can confirm the existence of aliens, because he claims they've been among us for a damn long time. He even says they have their own org ... the "Galactic Federation."

Not only that, but Eshed -- who worked for the Israeli government from '81 to 2010 -- also alleges President Trump was about to blow the lid off the whole thing recently, but that he was convinced to shut his trap, 'cause most humans weren't ready for the truth ... yet.

The 87-year-old reportedly said, "There’s an agreement between the U.S. government and the aliens. They signed a contract with us to do experiments here. They, too, are researching and trying to understand the whole fabric of the universe, and they want us as helpers."

So ... they come in peace???

One more outlandish claim -- Eshed said there's an underground space base on Mars RIGHT NOW, where man and alien are working side-by-side for the betterment of the "Federation."

Ooookay ... so why's he going public? Much like comedy, Eshed says it's all about timing -- noting that if he had brought this up 5 years ago, he would've been written off as nuts.

BTW, plenty of people are still going with that take ... insinuating the dude's not all there anymore.

Conspiracy theorists, on the other hand, are pointing to Trump's fascination with ramping up Space Force, as evidence Eshed's on to something. And, don't get us started with UFO sightings either.

Remember, Obama all but confirmed the existence of aliens himself too -- but wasn't as loose-lipped as old Haim is here.

NASA sent a massive goody bag of supplies and treats up into space this week to help their astronauts out for the holidays -- and we found out what they're noshing on!!!

A rep for NASA tells TMZ ... part of the resupply load, aboard a SpaceX capsule, that docked at the International Space Station Monday were thousands of pounds of cargo for scientific research -- and also some fresh grub.

We're told among some of the fresh food items -- which is a rare treat in space, since most everything is either freeze-dried or thermostabilized -- was a bunch of fruit. Sounds basic, but in space ... even a first bite at the apple is something to savor for these expeditions.

Some of that produce included Gala apples, navel and blood oranges, mandarin oranges, and ... lemons!!! Hey, when life gives 'em to you, gotta make the most of it right???

We're told there were also some holiday-themed hot foods sent up as well -- which are all probably arriving in some type of airtight packaging, a la Tang.

Among that lot, NASA says it shipped stuff like cherry blueberry cobbler, cornbread dressing, cranapple dessert, jellied cranberry sauce, macaroni & cheese, potatoes au gratin, roasted turkey, shortbread cookies, southwestern corn, sparkle gel, spicy green beans, french vanilla cappuccino and wheat flatbread. Mmmm -- space munchies 😁.

BTW, these are the same astronauts that were shot up into the sky a few short weeks ago in another SpaceX Dragon capsule. So, they're probably due to a fresh shot of fuel.

There's a mysterious object hurtling toward Earth right now that will whiz past us early Tuesday morning, and in perfect 2020 fashion ... nobody's sure what the heck it is.

The unknown space mass has been dubbed "2020 SO," and is set to fly by our planet at an extremely close, but safe, distance of 31,605 miles at 3:50 AM ET December 1.

The object was discovered by the Pan-STARRS survey in Hawaii back in September, and initially, it was believed to be an asteroid measuring an estimated 15-33 feet across.

However, scientists at NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) soon began to postulate it wasn't an asteroid or even a "natural body" at all.

Instead, CNEOS director Paul Chodas is on record saying he believes the object is the Centaur rocket booster from NASA's failed Surveyor 2 lunar mission ... which launched way back on September 20, 1966.

Chodas used a bunch of computer science and math to track 2020 SO's orbit backward to come to the conclusion ... that it likely launched from Earth.

Of course, scientists will be able to more closely observe the object as it approaches to determine exactly what it is ... and here's to hoping it's more exciting than a hunk of space junk.

Not likely, though.

Barack Obama got the lowdown as Prez on UFOs -- or the lack thereof -- and although he won't say if space aliens are a thing, his facial reactions are more than interesting.

Obama appeared on 'The Late Show' Monday night and Stephen Colbert asked the burning question ... whether 44 was briefed on UFOs. He was quick to answer -- yes. After all, the Roswell mystery has survived for decades, so presidents are all looped in.

So SC asked the obvious followup ... what do ya know?  For that, you just gotta watch his reaction. Colbert thinks it's a giveaway ... that there's something in the air.

Then again, Obama could be clowning everyone ... after all, he's played his share of poker, but Colbert thinks the Prez betrayed his poker face and gave an answer loud and clear.

SpaceX and NASA are about to once again send astronauts into space -- laying even more groundwork for what might become a regular thing ... and we'll be streaming the event live, with lift-off slated for 7:27 PM ET.

Elon Musk's shuttle program is embarking on yet another launch Sunday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida -- where the SpaceX team is firing its famed Dragon capsule into orbit ... only this time, it's carrying a few more helmeted cadets on the mission.

Three American astronauts are signed up for this job -- NASA's Mike Hopkins, Shannon Walker and Victor Glover -- and so is a Japanese astronaut named Soichi Noguchi. Check out their suits, BTW ... super sleek compared to what they used to rock back in the day.

That's technology, baby!!! Also ... fashion.

The 4-person crew is heading to the International Space Station, where they'll conduct scientific research for NASA. This is the second time this year that SpaceX has sent up humans in partnership with NASA -- in May, they sent up astronauts Doug Hurly and Bob Behnken to the ISS for a couple months ... now, they're upping the manpower. It's the first SpaceX commercial crew trip to the ISS.

This latest mission is a huge milestone -- it marks a huge pivot away from our reliance on Russian space travel -- something the U.S. has been heavily reliant on in recent years.

The fact SpaceX is helping with these types of trips more regularly proves it's a leading company for a lot more travel in the near future -- which could open the door for space tourism. The possibilities are endless, really.

The launch is scheduled for 7:27 PM ET. Houston, we have lift-off ... hopefully.

Humans are going back to the moon for the fist time in a long time ... and this time a woman will be leaving her footprint on that giant rock in the sky.

NASA just announced a new space mission they're set to embark on over the next few years with the intent of getting boots on the lunar ground by 2024 to study water they discovered recently, and see if it's usable.

The thinking is the H20 -- now found could be a sign of life, 'cause that's technically what an organism on Earth would need to thrive. Then again, it could just be mutant space water, so that's what they're gonna check out.

NASA hasn't announced the crew members' names yet.

There's more to this trip than just agua ... NASA says not only is it going to study the water, but the new U.S. moon missions -- dubbed Artemis -- will also try to establish a long-term presence there by the end of the decade, and use it as a springboard to our neighbor ... MARS, baby!!!

BTW, if you're wondering why we haven't been back to the moon more regularly -- the last time we set foot there was in '72, during the Apollo missions -- the space agency has chalked it up to politics, support and funding, or a lack thereof. It wasn't because they couldn't do it.

In total, humans have been to the moon 6 times. Get ready to put another notch in our space belts.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is trying to ease fears about the asteroid that's got a shot of striking the U.S. before election day -- but also knows everyone wants to panic, cause it's 2020.

The famed astrophysicist joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday for a science lesson on the refrigerator-sized space rock hurtling towards Earth. Here's the truth, folks ... he says the chance of it landing on American soil on Nov. 2 is less than 1 percent.

But, does that really sound comforting with all we've seen so far in 2020?!? Didn't think so.

The good news ... Neil's got some more information that might help ease your mind. Even if the asteroid does end up in line for a direct hit, he says it's NOT killer-sized, and instead, it'll just create one helluva light show.

Neil, who hosts the new Fox show, "Cosmos: Possible Worlds," says a direct hit is even getting a little ahead of ourselves. The prediction's based on a limited amount of data -- the proverbial "small sample size" for all you baseball nuts enjoying the World Series.

Of course, NASA's also confirmed the asteroid is on a trajectory to possibly strike ... and the space agency is staying mum on the 3 possible points of impact. Thanks?

Neil's also got cool nuggets about another asteroid that could hold clues to the origin of our solar system. Fascinating stuff that's clearly not in line with Bible teachings, but he even addressed that with us.

Kate Rubins just cast the mother of all mail-in ballots -- she's not even on Earth and she still cast her vote!!! What's your excuse?

The NASA astronaut voted Thursday from her post aboard the International Space Station, which is about 250 miles or so above our planet ... so you could call this the definition of going above and beyond.

Like most Houston area based astronauts, Kate votes in Texas ... and there's a super cool process for getting her absentee ballot from lower Earth orbit all the way down to the Lone Star State.

As you can see, there's a secure voting booth on the ISS ... and Kate voted using a secure electronic ballot generated by the Harris County Clerk's office and uplinked by Mission Control. Kate's completed ballot is then downlinked and delivered back to the County Clerk’s Office by e-mail to be officially recorded.

Astronauts have been legally allowed to vote from space since 1997, and Kate also cast her ballot from the ISS in the 2016 election. She says if she can vote from space, folks should be getting done on the ground.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is warning earthlings, an asteroid may be heading for our planet before election day, but it's probably not going to kill us ... but maybe something else will.

The famed astrophysicist posted a photo of the giant rock hurtling toward Earth, with the caption, "asteroid 2018VP1, a refrigerator-sized space-rock, is hurtling towards us at more than 25,000 mi/hr."

He goes on to say it could have a brush with Earth at an ominous time ... "It may buzz-cut Earth on Nov. 2, the day before the Presidential Election. But it’s not big enough to cause harm. So if the World ends in 2020, it won’t be the fault of the Universe."

Neil, who hosts the new Fox show, “Cosmos: Possible Worlds," didn't say what else could end the world as we know it, but we have ideas.

As for the asteroid ... NASA has confirmed it's on a trajectory to possibly hit the U.S. on Nov. 2. It's 6.5 feet in diameter and there's only a 1% chance it will hit somewhere in the country, but still ... it's 2020.

Astronauts will very soon be taking a crap in a toilet that costs a whopping $23 million. Science, baby.

NASA's set to launch nearly 8,000 pounds of supplies Tuesday from its Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia to the International Space Station ... and the cargo will include the Universal Waste Management System.

The toilet -- around 28 inches tall -- will be 65% smaller and 40% lighter than the current John on the ISS, but it'll have the capability to support larger crews. It will be installed next to the current toilet, and astronauts will test how the new crapper performs in a microgravity environment.

Some of the toilet's features -- a urine funnel and seat made to be more accommodating for female crew members. It'll also feature a 3D-printed titanium dual-fan separator ... which creates a strong airflow that'll help pull the astronauts' urine and waste into the toilet.

Remember, no gravity up there so they'll take all the help they can get.

The new toilet also improves the pretreat system that's used to collect and treat urine before it's processed and recycled for reclaimed water. If the new toilet's a hit ... it could one day be used on missions to the moon and even Mars.

The re-supply mission will also include food, science experiments and even skincare from Estée Lauder.

Most Hollywood types say, "Let's do lunch" ... but for Tom Cruise, it's "Let's do LAUNCH" -- and now he knows when he'll make his virgin voyage to space to film a movie.

Tom's hitching a ride on a SpaceX Crew Dragon rocket and capsule to the International Space Station in October 2021 to start filming in orbit ... according to the 2020-2023 ISS official manifest.

Mr. "Mission Impossible" will be joined by "Edge of Tomorrow" director Doug Liman as the pioneering film project gets underway.

As we reported ... Tom is working hand in hand with SpaceX honcho Elon Musk and NASA to film an action-adventure flick aboard the ISS. The film, which will become the first shot in outer space, is reportedly NOT a "Mission Impossible" flick.

Hopefully, Tom takes some sage advice from retired astronauts Scott Kelly and Roy Bridges Jr. ahead of his big adventure ... remember, the famous astronauts say boning up on toilet science is extremely important!!!

More bombshell evidence that aliens have touched down and our own government has teamed up with them to RULE US ALL ... that is, if you buy what this UFO hunter's selling.

This guy named Scott C. Waring -- a self-described expert in the field of ufology -- recently claimed that he spotted what he says is a roughly 52-foot tall structure on the premises of Area 51, out in Nevada -- which appears ... almost human-like, and possibly alien made???

That's what Waring here is kinda implying. He wrote in a blog post, "I found a 16 meter dark figure in Area 51 and there seems to be another to the right of it, but shorter," adding ... "When I checked through the past photos of that location, I notice that the figure actually moves onto its side, then changes its poses in each photo. It actually moves."

As for how he even stumbled across these images, Waring punched in Area 51's exact coordinates, 37°13'26.26"N 115°49'2.37”W, into Google Earth ... and yes, it's still there.

He theorizes this thing was manufactured by aliens, captured by American forces and is being explored to use for possible missions. So in other words, AT-AT Walkers (ish).

While this could merely be a shadow (or nothing at all), heck ... maybe it IS aliens. We've already seen some seemingly credible UFO sightings in this wild year of 2020.

OK ... we're in the grip of a pandemic, there are tropical storms swirling around the country, police shootings seem like an everyday occurrence, Trump is making rumblings he won't leave office even if he loses ... and now, an asteroid may hit the U.S. hours before the election.

NASA broke the news ... an asteroid is on a trajectory to hit the United States of America on November 2, 2020.

The good news ... it's 6.5 feet in diameter and there's only a 1% chance it will hit somewhere in the country. With our luck in 2020, who's betting that it will miss?

The space agency is saying there are 3 possible points of impact, but they weren't specific.

SpaceX and NASA's #LaunchAmerica journey is on the verge of completing a successful mission -- they're coming back to Earth, and we're streaming it live.

American astronauts Robert Behnken and Doug Hurley -- who were shot into orbit back in May aboard SpaceX's Dragon Endeavor -- are set to touch down Sunday. Their spacecraft is scheduled to splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, FL at 11:45 AM PT

They've been in orbit aboard the ISS for the past 62 days and made 1,024 revolutions around our planet ... this after Elon Musk and co. sent them up in an effort to get more American space missions kickstarted ... not to mention potential space tourism in the near future.

The initial launch went off without a hitch -- after the Falcon 9 rocket took Bob and Doug to a certain point ... it landed safely aboard a ship waiting out at sea. The boys then took control from there, and once they were close enough ... they docked with the ISS.

The #LaunchAmerica mission marks the first time in nearly a decade since Americans have been up among the stars.

SpaceX's latest mission's off to a good start, thanks to the same rocket booster that launched NASA astronauts on their journey to the International Space Station in May ... and here's the incredible footage.

The Falcon 9 launched the ANASIS-II Mission rocket on Monday around 5:30 PM ET from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, this time to set a communications satellite into orbit.

Videographer Ryan Chylinski utilized a slo-mo camera and zoom lens to capture the stunning moment ... and the telescope-tracking vid shows the rocket in great detail.

As we reported ... Falcon 9 launched 2 American astronauts -- Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken -- into orbit on May 30, then returned to the ground on a remote droneship.