NASA

SpaceX can check one more accomplishment off its list -- successfully completing an ISS mission, now that its astronauts have touched down on Earth in grand fashion.

Elon Musk's Dragon capsule safely landed Monday evening, parachuting into the Gulf of Mexico without a hitch ... but not before it was seen streaking across the night sky, especially in New Orleans -- where it looked like a shooting star, or even an asteroid.

This might've freaked some folks out ... but rest assured, it was just the Endeavor crew torpedoing back into our atmosphere after being up in orbit for more than 6 months. Indeed, this was the crew SpaceX/NASA shot into space back in April ... 'memba that?!?

The astronauts who went up were Shane Kimbrough, Megan McArthur, Akihiko Hoshide and Thomas Pesquet ... and they linked up with the International Space Station, where they've been doing research and fieldwork for this entire time.

Now that they're back, and the mission's apparently a success, Elon can proudly say he's helped get the U.S. back into space after a multi-year hiatus. The last time we were up there for an extended period of time was way back in the early 2010s, but that program was paused by NASA -- that is, until SpaceX jumpstarted things with this launch.

Pretty sweet feat ... and it definitely puts Elon higher on the billionaire's space race totem pole, alongside guys like Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson -- who haven't gone quite as far up as SpaceX rockets/capsules have.

Oh, and BTW -- the team here had a little bathroom trouble on the way down ... NASA advised them not to use the onboard toilet -- due to malfunctions that made it inoperable -- so they had to improvise for their bodily functions. Yep, you guessed it ... diapers for everyone!!!

NBD, they handled the crappy situation with professionalism and humor.

The all-civilian space mission that Elon Musk and co. sent up into orbit is officially a success -- because the 4-man crew is back home ... and TMZ is streaming the crew member pickup live.

The team, known as Inspiration4, re-entered our planet's atmosphere Saturday in a Dragon capsule -- getting burnt up badly as it barrels down to Earth, to be expected in these types of voyages. Luckily, there was some major parachuting going on to slow this puppy down ... and the spacecraft safely landed in the Atlantic, off the coast of Florida.

Before they touched down ... it looks like the crew was watching some appropriate Mel Brooks content -- during the livestream, you could see one of the normie astronauts streaming "Spaceballs" on a small monitor in front of 'em. Good stuff!

Anyway, when they finally did make contact -- it made for a dramatic splash. Not too dramatic though ... SpaceX had rescue ships at the ready to pick up the passengers and take them back to shore -- which they're in the middle of doing now. It went about as as smoothly as one could hope for.

Remember, billionaire Jared Isaacman led the mission ... alongside Chris Sembroski, Dr. Sian Proctor and Hayley Arceneaux, all of whom have been zipping around the planet for a few days straight -- confined to the seats in the small space of their capsule.

Yes, that means they had to use the same toilet ... and refrain from showers. The fact they pulled it off opens the door for space tourism in the near future -- a whole new chapter many of us never thought possible.

These four individuals had to go through rigorous training to be in shape to be blasted off toward the stars -- but if you can get through that (and pay the high price tag) ... it's definitely something you can check off your bucket list in your lifetime.

Elon Musk's space company just made history ... the first ever, all-civilian spaceflight is way up above our planet ... and they blasted off without any astronauts.

Billionaire Jared Isaacman, a pilot himself, is leading the mission dubbed Inspiration4 ... and it looks like he's already having a blast up there in space with the rest of his lucky space tourists.

Chris Sembroski, Dr. Sian Proctor and Hayley Arceneaux took off with Jared in a SpaceX Dragon capsule Wednesday night ... blasting into space using a Falcon 9 rocket, which launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

As you can see ... the space tourists were clapping and celebrating as they took off into space, breaking the speed of sound on the way up, while those in mission control back home were hyped too.

Now that they're in orbit, Jared and co. will be in space for the next 3 days, zipping around Earth about once every 90 minutes and enjoying the views.

As we first told you ... Jared told us back in February he was most looking forward to overriding the automatic pilot and taking Dragon for a spin up in space.

BTW ... the civilian crew will be sleeping in the same reclining seats you saw them in on the launch ... and they've got to share a toilet and forego showers.

Elon Musk's a billionaire with modest taste ... just check out his tiny digs in Texas.

The Tesla chief is living it up in this pre-fabricated casita near his SpaceX headquarters in Boca Chica, Texas. The entire thing's a whopping 375 square feet ... with 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom as well as a living room and kitchen.

Yup, there's a dishwasher and even a washing machine.

Las Vegas-based Boxabl is selling the houses for a cool $49,500. The company tried its best to be subtle about scoring Elon as a customer -- it announced back in November it installed one of its pre-fab cribs in Boca Chica for a "top secret customer."

The company's founder, Galiano Tiramani, had said it was "pretty exciting to have these guys as our initial customer." He didn't confirm the house was built for Elon himself but, just a couple of months ago, Elon confirmed in a tweet he was, in fact, living in the tiny home and renting it from SpaceX.

It should come as no surprise that one of the world's richest men can pull strings for this tiny house, which reportedly has a 47,000-person waitlist.

NASA says it needs some guinea pigs to test out what life on Mars would be like for a year -- right here at home -- and they're asking for regular Earthlings to help out.

The space agency put out a want ad this week, asking for "healthy, motivated" U.S. citizens and/or permanent residents to sign up and volunteer for a year-long simulated experience ... which will apparently put 4 lucky participants together in a 3D printed bunker-like environment.

NASA has an idea of what the fake 1,700 square-foot Mars fort (of sorts) will look like ... something like what you see above.

Anyway, sounds like they're going to be doing a few of these "missions" -- with the first set to begin in Fall 2022 and take place at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where they'll recreate Mars conditions and put these folks through different tests ... for, like, research and whatnot.

Some of the things one might expect to be dealing with while there ... handling resource limitations, equipment failure and other environmental stressors. There's also the strong possibility NASA will make you go through simulated spacewalks, scientific research, use of virtual reality and robotic controls and "exchanging communications" ... as they put it. 👀

There might be some pay, it seems ... but the amount isn't specified in NASA's press release. But, still, it's kinda cool ... right??? BTW, we know we said ordinary people are wanted -- but that's isn't entirely true ... NASA is seeking the best and the brightest for these simulations.

It's been nearly two decades since military aviator Chad Underwood filmed the "Tic Tac" UFO sighting ... but for the first time EVER he's breaking his silence in front of a camera.

Underwood's highly-anticipated interview will go down Wednesday at noon PT on Jeremy Corbell's YouTube show "Extraordinary Beliefs." The video -- filmed in November 2004 off the coast of San Diego -- was captured off the left wing of Chad's F/A-18 Super Hornet.

The sighting and filming is considered one of the most famous and important videos in UFO history ... largely because a military officer filmed it during an official flight-training exercise. The video was also famously declassified by the Pentagon in 2017.

The video shows an object go from 80,000 feet to sea level in less than a second and a half ... the forces of which human engineering and, for that matter, humans cannot withstand. The object had no wings, no obvious propulsion system and no exhaust.

Underwood, at the time a Navy Weapon Systems Officer on the elite squadron dubbed Black Aces, will offer insight into his encounter with the UFO. He'll also clarify many details the public has been wanting to hear ... as in, the footage he shot is only the beginning.

The half-hour interview will cover a myriad of subjects ... like the origin of the name "Tic Tac" UFO. He'll also talk about behavioral sightings and if his kids ask him about alien encounters.

As we previously reported ... the Pentagon released a 9-page report last month in what was supposed to offer insight on a rash of recent UAP (unidentified aerial phenomena) sightings.

Instead, the report turned out to be a nothing burger ... 'cause the Office of the Director of National Intelligence only noted that 143 of the 144 flying objects spotted since 2004 remain unexplained.

There's a notable, near-ish-collision on Earth -- or at least one that's looming -- and the object that may be about to crash is traveling at 18,000 MPH!!!

NASA has sounded an alarm that a giant asteroid is about to pass Earth. It's somewhere between 318 and 720 feet in length ... about the size of the Taj Mahal and the Great Pyramid of Giza.

The thing's even got a name -- 2008 G020.

Well, when we say near-collision, it's all relative. It's supposed to come as close as 2.8 million miles to our planet. In NASA-ese ... it's labeled an Apolo, which is a "near-Earth" designation.

To give you more context ... the Moon is 238,855 miles from Earth, while Mars is 236.5 million miles away. So, somewhere in the middle.

This won't be our closest encounter with G020. In 1901 it got 1 million miles from Earth.

Space tourism shouldn't be a tax-free joyride for Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson and other billionaires ... so says Rep. Earl Blumenauer, who's ready to do something about it.

We got the Oregon Congressman on Capitol Hill Thursday and wanted to get more deets about the House bill he said he plans to soon introduce. In fact ... Blumenauer announced his plans on the same day Bezos and Blue Origin launched into space.

Blumenauer's bill is pretty simple ... he wants the wealthy going to space for the sole purpose of tourism to pay a luxury tax. He says anyone on a commercial flight on a trip NOT focused on scientific research should pay the price.

The Congressman says it's just like when a family goes to Legoland ... the theory being the ticket price includes taxes.  To be accurate, Legoland charges what it wants and is responsible for paying taxes on profits. Maybe it's more like an airline or cigarette tax.

The congressman says he's not opposed to space innovation. He just has strong feelings about the wealthy galavanting in space for their own entertainment without, as he says, supporting the public good.

Sir Richard Branson appears to still be on cloud nine -- or whatever number it is at 55 miles above sea level -- and now the trailblazing billionaire's autograph is an even hotter commodity.

The Virgin Galactic boss and newly minted astronaut was making his way to "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" Tuesday in NYC when he got a hero's welcome from a group of admirers ... most of them toting Sharpies and pics of Sir Richard.

He made his way over to greet his fans and sign some photos, telling them his recent voyage was "special" ... and he snapped lots of great photos.

Based on what we saw for ourselves Sunday -- when Branson and his fellow travelers launched into sub-orbital space aboard the VSS Unity -- we believe him, and we're pretty jealous.

Of course, Richard might be the first business magnate to fly commercial all the way to zero gravity ... but Jeff Bezos is right on his heels. He's set to take off July 20.

The Virgin founder didn't have anything to say about beating the Amazon founder in the billionaire space race, but he really didn't have to ... the look on his face says it all.

Branson's warm welcome in New York does pale in comparison to some other astronauts -- the ticker-tape parade for the crew of Apollo 11 back in 1969 was pretty epic.

Richard Branson is closing in on winning the billionaire space race with Jeff Bezos -- because Virgin Galactic now has a flight planned for next weekend, and the British billionaire will be onboard.

Richard's company announced plans Thursday to launch the rocket-fueled flight July 11 ... just 9 days before Bezos plans to travel to suborbital space July 20 with his Blue Origin mission.

Virgin Galactic says Branson will be joined by 2 pilots and 3 other astronauts on the spaceflight, with Richard "testing the private astronaut experience" ... a fancy phrase for the views from space, the cabin, seating and zero gravity.

Richard's company says the spaceflight on Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity SpaceShipTwo rocket plane will stream live on social media, and the mission's been dubbed "Unity 22."

If all goes according to plan, Virgin Galactic and Richard will beat Blue Origin and Bezos by a healthy margin.

Remember, when Jeff announced his launch, back on June 7, Branson hadn't even publicly mentioned a date for his trip. That changed within a matter of days.

The Pentagon's UFO report didn't even scratch the surface ... at least according to a leading UFO filmmaker who has zero doubt Uncle Sam knows much, much more than it's letting on.

Jeremy Corbell, a UFO enthusiast and filmmaker, joined "TMZ Live" Tuesday, and said "bet your bottom dollar," the government knows more than what was in that 9-page report ... because, as Jeremy points out ... only 6 pages contained actual info!

While he's skeptical, Jeremy says he's actually still encouraged by the report because it means that, for the first time in American history, the U.S. government has officially and publicly acknowledged it's investigating mysterious UFOs.

He says it's about damn time, because this is a matter of national security. Senator Marco Rubio is among those who've echoed that concern.

Jeremy says the U.S. absolutely needs to know who or what is behind these UFOs because they're outperforming, outpacing and outmaneuvering our greatest fighter planes.

As we reported, the Pentagon's UFO report, released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, amounted to a nothing sandwich. The report noted 143 of the 144 flying objects it has spotted since 2004 are still a huge mystery and remain unexplained.

Richard Branson just cleared one huge hurdle in his quest to beat Jeff Bezos into sub-orbital space ... the FFA just gave Virgin Galactic the green light to fly passengers.

The Virgin Galactic honcho got the all-clear Friday after the Federal Aviation Administration reviewed extensive data gathered from his aerospace company's May 22 test flight. The review reportedly confirmed the flight performed well.

BTW ... it's the first time the FAA has licensed a spaceline to fly customers. Huge deal.

Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier said, "We’re incredibly pleased with the results of our most recent test flight, which achieved our stated flight test objectives. The flight performed flawlessly, and the results demonstrate the safety and elegance of our flight system."

He added, "Today’s approval by the FAA of our full commercial launch license, in conjunction with the success of our May 22 test flight, give us confidence as we proceed toward our first fully crewed test flight this summer."

It should be noted, there were reports Branson was going to be traveling in one of his rocket-fueled flights over the July 4 weekend -- but the company has not announced any plans yet to do so -- aka, it almost certainly won't happen in that timeframe.

If it did takeoff ... that would edge out Bezos' Blue Origin flight by a couple of weeks.

Vladimir Putin and Russia are not responsible for the swarm of UFOs being reported by U.S. Navy pilots, according to Rep. Tim Burchett ... who says the aircraft must be from another galaxy!!!

We got the U.S. Congressman from Tennessee on Capitol Hill Tuesday and asked him about the rash of sightings in U.S. airspace or off our shores ... and the speculation President Biden plans to raise the issue Wednesday during his Geneva summit with Putin.

Rep. Burchett's having a hard time believing the Russians are involved. He says if they had the kind of advanced technology pilots have reported seeing ... Putin would already own America.

Instead, the Congressman thinks the objects -- which are seen on video operating in ways defying known laws of physics and gravity -- must be something from beyond the Milky Way.

There's lots of government chatter about UFOs these days, with intelligence officials expected to release an unclassified report for the first time before the end of June. Burchett says he's been disappointed with empty promises before about releasing UFO info ... and even calls out former Prez Trump for missing the mark.

The Congressman told us "something's clearly going on" ... but the powers that be think folks can't handle the truth. He also offered up a Biblical theory about the existence of UFOs.

If the highly-anticipated government report doesn't cough up some real intel, Burchett says it will only prove why some people believe more in UFOs than in their elected officials.

Richard Branson is out to prove he's the billionaire king of space travel, working with his team to beat Amazon's Jeff Bezos in busting out of Earth's atmosphere ... according to a new report.

Bezos announced he and his brother would be on the first crewed flight for his Blue Origin aerospace company -- the 11-minute trip is set to launch July 20. However, a report from the blog Parabolic Arc says Bezos' announcement has sparked a space race with Virgin Galactic honcho Richard Branson -- who now wants to launch his rocket-fueled flight over the July 4 weekend.

Branson's largest possible snag, according to Parabolic Arc, is that VG will first need to obtain a commercial reusable spacecraft operator’s license from the FAA.

Details of Branson's possible trip are sparse, but if approved -- he'll travel in Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity SpaceShipTwo rocket plane for the journey. The billionaire has not yet spoken publicly about the trip.

One person who will certainly not find entertainment in the billionaire space race? Elizabeth Warren. We got the Senator in D.C. Thursday who said Bezos' planned trip to space is a slap in the face to taxpayers ... who she claims are basically funding the trip because Bezos doesn't pay his fair share in taxes.

The greatest show on Earth is in the sky above it in the form of the year's first solar eclipse -- and the "Ring of Fire" is pretty awesome to see.

The solar eclipse -- when the moon passes directly between the sun and the Earth to create a so-called "Ring of Fire" effect -- started early Thursday morning. The best views are in Canada, from north of the Great Lakes to northeastern Canada, on up to the Arctic Ocean.

It later passed over the North Pole before ending in northeastern Siberia.

NASA said other countries in the Northern Hemisphere -- like the UK and Ireland -- were also able to see a partial eclipse, but only saw a fingernail-shaped shadow.

Some parts of the U.S. ... including northern Alaska, the southeast, Midwest and northeast caught a glimpse too. Although, most Americans didn't get the full "Ring of Fire" effect ... it still looked pretty badass.

For instance, one of the coolest shots of the eclipse came out of the NY area with the Statue of the Liberty in the foreground. Wow!

If you missed this eclipse, don't fret. There will be another one on November 19 -- a partial eclipse of the moon viewable in North America and Hawaii.

The former NASA astronaut commanding the first civilian crew to the International Space Station is feeling good about the so-called space tourists, because they're handling zero gravity better than him!!!

Michael Lopez-Alegria, the decorated astronaut with 2 NASA records for spacewalks, joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday to tell us how he and his 3 crew members handled their first weightless training flight.

It's pretty funny ... Michael says he was the one who felt the worst, while the philanthropists and entrepreneurs had a blast doing somersaults and backflips while they were experiencing zero gravity.

Larry Connor, Mark Pathy and Eytan Stibbe are the 3 men who've dropped $55 million each to punch their tickets to the ISS and, so far, they're making their commander proud.

Axiom's Ax-1 mission -- the first private mission to the ISS -- blasts off in January with Michael at the controls. He admits he'll have a "tough needle to thread" during the 10-day mission with space newbies ... since he's their commander, but also ... kinda their tour guide in orbit.

It's a new challenge, for sure ... even for a guy who's logged more spacewalks than anyone else in history.