Sharjah24 – Reuters: A Russian crew of two cosmonauts, a movie director and an actress blasted off for the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday to shoot the first movie in space, the latest twist in decades of Russia-U.S. space rivalry.

The Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft is set to dock at 1212 GMT at the station, which orbits Earth at an altitude of around 220 miles (354 km).

Russian state media provided blanket and patriotic coverage in the run-up, with a countdown clock running on Channel One and news anchors framing the development as a significant breakthrough by Russia that the rest of the world is watching closely.

The fanfare contrasted with the mixed fortunes of Russia's own space industry which has in recent years been dogged by delays, accidents and corruption scandals as U.S.-based private firms backed by rich businessmen have developed new spaceships.

The 12-day Russian mission follows the launch of the first all-civilian crew aboard a rocket and capsule developed by SpaceX, which was founded by businessman Elon Musk.

The Russian mission is designed to get in first before a Hollywood project announced earlier this year by actor Tom Cruise together with NASA and SpaceX.