When Space Force starring Steve Carell is coming to Netflix - cast, latest news and more

He has direct orders from the President to get "boots on the moon" by 2024, but with mounting political pressure and somewhat limited technology, that could be quite a tall order indeed.

In the meantime, he'll have to tackle day-to-day threats, including competition from international space agencies and rivals in the Air Force, as well as chaos caused by his own eccentric team, which includes a pompous scientist and an egotistical social media expert.

As creator of acclaimed sitcoms The US Office and Parks and Recreation, fans are hopeful that Daniels will have another winner on his hands with Space Force, particularly thanks to its star-studded cast.

It has the added novelty of being loosely inspired by the true story behind Space Force, following President Donald Trump's launch of a brand new galactic military branch late last year.

Here's everything we know so far about Space Force on Netflix...

When is Space Force released on Netflix?

CONFIRMED: Space Force will arrive on Netflix on Friday 29th May.

What is Space Force about?

Space Force opens as Air Force general Mark R. Naird (Carrell) is placed in charge of the United States Space Force, a difficult job given that no one has ever done it before.

He'll have to decide how best to use their controversially huge budget, while working to achieve the President's dream of having soldiers based on the moon by 2024.

Naird and his family are forced to uproot their lives in Washington DC and move to a remote military base in Colorado, something that proves particularly difficult for Naird's wife and teenage daughter.

Each episode sees the team at Space Force faced with some kind of challenge or crisis, each one with the potential for serious ramifications if they can't find a solution.

Much like The US Office and Parks and Recreation, Space Force is as much about the relationships between members of the team than it is about the work they are doing.

Naird will not only be battling to be a better father, but he'll also have to learn to work effectively with his chief scientific adviser, who vehemently opposes the idea that space should be just another battlefield.

Is Space Force based on real-life events?

This sitcom is inspired by the real launch of an official US military Space Force by President Donald Trump, who described outer space as "the world's new war-fighting domain".

In reality, Space Force is primarily focused on US interests in space such as navigation and communication satellites, rather than preparing to fight intergalactic battles.

As a result, it should be no surprise that Netflix's Space Force is not based on true events, but does poke fun at whether the United States truly needs a space-based military service at this time.

Steve Carell says on tongight's The Graham Norton Show, "It’s almost like we had parallel development – it was so funny that certain aspects mirror each other – but there are differentiations for sure!

"Those in charge have a great sense of humour and have been really nice about our show. They haven’t been thin-skinned at all. The general in charge did think Bruce Willis would have been a better choice to play my character, but they seem to be fans which is nice."

Carell's character is not based on the real leader of the United States Space Force, but did somehow find his way onto a display at the National Museum of the US Air Force, in a prank orchestrated by someone unknown...

Is there a trailer for Space Force?

Yes! First up, Netflix released an official teaser trailer on 5th May - which you can watch below...

A second, full-length trailer was released about two weeks later, just prior to the series landing on Netflix. You can watch it here:

Who is in the cast of Space Force?

Co-creator Steve Carell (The US Office) leads the Space Force cast Mark R. Naird, an Air Force general hired by the White House to lead the US Army's Space Force, with the goal of putting soldiers on the moon by 2024.

He is joined by screen icon John Malkovich (The New Pope), who will star as Dr Adrian Mallory, Head Science Advisor to Space Force who doesn't wish to see space transformed into yet another violent battlefield.

Ben Schwartz (best known as Jean-Ralphio in Parks and Recreation) will play F Tony Scarapiducci, a selfish media consultant in charge of Naird's tweets and drumming up good publicity for Space Force online.

Team Space Force also includes Tawny Newsome (Bajillion Dollar Propertie$) as a high-achieving new recruit, Jimmy O. Yang (Silicon Valley) as Dr Mallory's second-in-command, and Alex Sparrow as a Russian soldier under suspicion of spying.

Diana Silvers (Booksmart) will star as Carell's daughter, Erin Naird, a popular student in Washington DC who struggles to adapt to life in remote Colorado, becoming a social outcast at school despite her best efforts.

Friends star Lisa Kudrow plays Maggie Naird, Carrell's wife who has always been hugely supportive of his career aspirations, but their relationship hits a major snag shortly after he lands the Space Force job.

Kudrow made headlines when she admitted that she hadn't been aware that the US Army's Space Force was real prior to filming the show, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

"I thought the way they treated it really was a great balancing act," she said. "Given that it's real, I appreciated what they were doing. It's not for or against anyone or anything. It's patriotic and it's pro-decency. So that's a good thing."

Noah Emmerich (The Americans) plays Chief of Staff of the US Air Force, Naird's former boss with whom he has a bitter rivalry.

Jane Lynch (Glee), Diedrich Bader (Harley Quinn), Patrick Warburton (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Larry Joe Campbell (American Vandal) and Dan Bakkedahl (Veep) make up the Joint Chiefs of Staff, representing the various branches of the US military.

The late Fred Willard (Modern Family) will appear as Naird's semi-lucid elderly father, who lives in a nursing home with his wife in Washington DC.

Space Force review: Is it worth watching?

Here's a link to our full Space Force review.

The bad news is that we're calling it a "galactic misfire" that "lacks the charm" of Carell and Daniels' previous collaboration.

How can I listen to Inside Joke: Space Force podcast?

That's right, there's an official behind-the-scenes Space Force podcast, hosted by series star Jimmy O. Yang.

Beginning May 29th, there'll be new episodes Mondays and Thursdays each week, with guests including Steve Carell, Greg Daniels, John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz, Tawny Newsome, Diana Silvers and more.

You can listen to Netflix's Space Force podcast, Inside Joke: Space Force.

There are plenty of exciting Netflix films and Netflix TV shows to binge, if you soar through Space Force. If you’re looking for more to watch check out our TV guide.