What things from 2001 A Space Odyssey are real?

Answer 1

Leaving aside those things that were already known to be real at the time it was filmed (people, the Moon, picture phones, Velcro, and so on) ... not all that much. The one prediction that's come (sort of) true is the space station in Earth orbit being visited by something resembling the Space Shuttle. However, that's not a particularly impressive prediction, since the movie was filmed in the late 1960s and a space station (Skylab) was actually launched in 1973. Even the resemblance to the Shuttle is no more than might be expected from having a basic understanding of engineering (the ability to land softly pretty much makes wings a requirement, and it doesn't look that much like the actual Shuttle). It's even true that it's possible for a private citizen to buy a ticket and travel to the International Space Station, though not as easily as the movie implies. Also, at the time of the movie, it was reasonable to put a Pan Am logo on the tail of the shuttle; that's certainly not true today.

Answer 2

Some real elements from "2001: A Space Odyssey" include Artificial Intelligence systems like HAL 9000, space stations like the International Space Station, and the concept of space travel to Jupiter. Additionally, the film accurately portrays aspects of Space Travel and Exploration such as weightlessness and the challenges of living and functioning in space.