The Artemis II crew had the opportunity to watch Ryan Gosling’s latest film, Project Hail Mary, before embarking on their historic mission to the Moon. The astronauts were able to enjoy the movie during their quarantine period, which was a special treat for them.
Astronaut Jeremy Hansen shared his experience with SpaceQ, saying, “We were all really lucky. We got to watch Project Hail Mary when we were in quarantine. That was a real treat that they sent us a link to view that at home with our families, getting us ready to go on our own space adventure.”
Project Hail Mary stars Gosling as Ryland Grace, a science teacher who is tasked with traveling to space to save the world. The science fiction film, which also features Sandra Hüller and Lionel Boyce, recently overtook the latest Avatar instalment to become the highest-grossing Hollywood film of the year.
Hansen expressed his admiration for Gosling’s performance, stating, “I would just say to Ryan that art imitates science and vice versa, it seems. He did a great job in that movie. It’s wonderful to see people really leaning into those roles. I thought it was just such an inspirational example and somebody who goes out there and just gets what was done to save humanity. It’s a pretty extraordinary example that we can all follow. We all thought that movie was really uplifting and inspiring.”
The Artemis II crew, consisting of commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Hansen and Christina Koch, are already on their way back to Earth. They will take four days to return, with a splashdown in the Pacific on Friday.
They made history on Monday by becoming the first astronauts in more than 50 years to fly around the Moon. They also traveled farther from Earth than any human ever has. This record was achieved during a seven-hour lunar flyby that included a 40-minute communication blackout as they passed around the far side of the Moon.
Before launching on their mission, the crew received a video message from Gosling wishing them luck. In the message, he said, “The Artemis II astronauts are going to space for real, and they will travel farther from the earth than any humans in history. Sending all our best wishes to the Artemis II crew.”
Project Hail Mary, adapted from Andy Weir’s 2021 bestselling novel of the same name and directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, has broken several records since its release on 20 March. The Amazon MGM film cost $200m to make but has already grossed over $300m worldwide.
The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey gave the film four stars in her review, writing that it was “immensely likeable and technically impressive, even if it has the whiff of top-shelf nostalgia.” Project Hail Mary is currently in cinemas.
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