--- title: "Las Vegas Sphere Turns Into Huge Moon to Celebrate NASA Mission" description: "The Sphere in Las Vegas, a spherical, screen-covered arena, partnered with NASA to turn the hulking structure into the Moon itself." date: "2026-04-09" modified: "2026-04-09" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/space/las-vegas-sphere-huge-moon-celebrate-nasa-mission" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Moon" - "Space" --- # Las Vegas Sphere Turns Into Huge Moon to Celebrate NASA Mission ![The Sphere in Las Vegas, a spherical, screen-covered arena, partnered with NASA to turn the hulking structure into the Moon itself.]() *Las Vegas Sphere via Instagram* NASA's historic Artemis 2 mission has been a resounding success so far. The crew of four astronauts [hurtled around the Moon earlier this week]() and are expected to make reentry and splash down in the Pacific Ocean Friday evening, bookending an exciting opening salvo for the space agency's [efforts to return humans to the lunar surface]() for the first time in over half a century. Meanwhile, the country continues to cheer them on from over 100,000 miles away. In one particularly creative celebration, the Sphere in Las Vegas, a massive round screen-covered entertainment arena just off of the Strip, partnered with NASA to turn the hulking structure into the Moon itself. Drone footage [shared by the venue]() shows the mission's Orion spacecraft lazily circling the picture-perfect Moon. The space agency "provided us with a 3D model of the spacecraft and unique soundbites from the April 1st launch to help us design the Moon, spacecraft, and flight path to match the real-life version," the venue wrote in the caption. https://www.instagram.com/p/DWzAdRBj3pK/?hl=en "On this historic mission, you take with you the heart of this Artemis team, the daring spirit of the American people and our partners across the globe, and the hopes and dreams of a new generation," the voice of launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson says over the video, adding drama. "Good luck, Godspeed Artemis II. Let’s go." On the ground, the effect was just as striking. A [video circulating online]() shows the Sphere's simulated lunar surface loom over the horizon. At 516 feet in width, the unusual structure is roughly 22,000 times smaller than the actual Moon, which with a diameter of 2,159 miles could roughly [fit the contiguous United States]() across one of its halves from east to west. In comparison, the Moon appeared to the Artemis 2 astronauts as roughly the same size as a "basketball held at arm's length," [according to NASA]() — except without a busy highway, streetlights, and light pollution distracting from the view. It's technically not the first time we've seen the Las Vegas Sphere "cosplay" as the Moon. In 2023, the venue transformed into [Earth, Mars, and the Moon]() to celebrate July 4. **More on the mission:** [*We’re In Utter Disbelief About the Photos the Moon Astronauts Just Sent Back*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()