The Artemis II crew had the chance to enjoy a unique form of entertainment during their time in quarantine, as they watched Ryan Gosling’s latest film, Project Hail Mary, before embarking on their historic journey to the Moon.
“We were all really lucky. We got to watch Project Hail Mary when we were in quarantine,” astronaut Jeremy Hansen shared with SpaceQ on Sunday. “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 a mission to save the world from an existential threat. 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.
“I would just say to Ryan that art imitates science and vice versa, it seems,” Hansen said. “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.” He added, “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. The return journey will take them four days, with a splashdown in the Pacific scheduled for Friday.
They made history on Monday by becoming the first astronauts in more than 50 years to fly around the Moon. They also set a new record for the farthest distance from Earth that any human has ever traveled.
This achievement was accomplished during a seven-hour lunar flyby that included a 40-minute communication blackout as they passed around the far side of the Moon. Shortly before launching on their mission, the crew received a video message from Gosling wishing them luck.
“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,” he said.
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 $200 million to make but has already grossed over $300 million 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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