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See Idris Elba beam a sweet message to NASA's Victor Glover on the ISS

"You will be surprised to know this is my first time in space," the Marvel actor said.

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
Amanda Kooser
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NASA astronaut Victor Glover works on the International Space Station.

NASA

Here's a feel-good space story. NASA's Victor Glover is a trailblazer, the first Black astronaut to stay long-term on the International Space Station. He arrived on a SpaceX Crew Dragon in November 2020 and has already taken two spacewalks. Oh, and he got a touching personal message from actor Idris Elba.

Glover is a massive fan of Elba, who's known for his appearances in the Marvel universe and his work on the long-running show Luther. The star appeared in a video sent to Glover up on the ISS. 

"You will be surprised to know this is my first time in space," said Elba. "But I have been to space in movies." Elba and Glover are in a mutual-admiration society. "Your story really inspired me because I'm a big dreamer as well," said Elba in praise of Glover.

The rest of the video stars Glover's family and friends sharing holiday wishes, but it also features a cameo appearance by famous Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield of Space Oddity fame.

Glover's father made the moment happen through the VidDay video-gift service. The astronaut received the message in late 2020, but it took a bit to get the microgravity reaction video back from space. Glover's mile-wide grin showed his appreciation.

VidDay CEO Rossel Sabourin worked with NASA to arrange the video delivery. Sabourin told CNET, "It was a magical moment and we're glad to have helped in making those connections."

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