If you need more space in your life, may we suggest tuning in to NASA TV at 8pm this Thursday evening?  

At 11 minutes past the hour, a crew of four astronauts will be heading to the International Space Station (ISS). 

So far, so normal.

What’s different about this mission is that NASA, the US space agency, is embracing a very 21st philosophy of reuse, by sending four astronauts into space in a recycled SpaceX rocket. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SpaceX (@spacex)

Related story: Buckle up: this Virgin Galactic ship will transport the first space tourists

And just what is SpaceX, we hear you ask? It’s none other than Elon Musk’s space transportation company. 

The mission will be SpaceX’s third crewed flight for NASA in under a year. Leaving from Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre, four astronauts will head for the ISS: Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur of NASA (Megan’s husband Bob flew a test mission to the ISS last year), Akihiko Hoshide from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency (ESA). Megan, Shane, Akihiko and Thomas will reportedly join three colleagues on the space station and are due to undertake scientific research for the next six months. 

Related story: You’ll soon be able to buy tickets to NASA’s Space Station, but you’ll need to start saving now

The team will be flying in the Endeavour capsule – the very same capsule that travelled to the ISS last year as part of the Demo-2 mission.

And if you’re wondering (aren’t we all) what they’re going to be eating while they’re onboard the ISS, wonder no longer. Al Jazeera reported that the astronauts will be dining on curry and rice, canned fish, yakitori, beef with red wine and mushroom sauce, truffled potato and onion tart and Crepes Suzette. 

Sounds like a pretty good line up of dishes, even if they do have to wait six months before they can have a wine with their dinner (yep, alcohol is banned on the ISS).

To keep up to date with all NASA and SpaceX events and happenings, you can find out more information here.

Related story: Choc chip cookies to become the first food baked in space