--- title: "NASA Packs Artemis 1 Moon Launch With a Crop of Celebrity Guests" description: "NASA is gearing up for the Artemis 1 Moon mission launch later this month, and the space program is packing it with appearances by celebrity guests." date: "2022-08-21" modified: "2022-08-21" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-artemis-celebrity-guests" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Moon" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "artemis" - "celebrities" - "NASA" - "the digest" --- # NASA Packs Artemis 1 Moon Launch With a Crop of Celebrity Guests ![NASA is gearing up for the Artemis 1 Moon mission launch later this month, and the space program is packing it with appearances by celebrity guests.]() *CAPE CANAVERAL, FL - AUGUST 17: In this handout image provided by NASA, NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center on August 17, 2022 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. NASA's Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency's deep space exploration systems, which includes the Orion spacecraft, SLS rocket, and supporting ground systems. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than August 29. (Photo by Joel Kowsky/NASA via Getty Images) \Image: Getty Images\* ## Artemis Prime NASA is gearing up for the Artemis 1 Moon mission launch later this month, and the space program is packing it with appearances by celebrity guests as awesome — and disparate — as Keke Palmer, Chris Evans, and Jack Black. In a [statement]() about the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket launch that's scheduled for August 29, NASA revealed a star-studded cast of celebrities set to attend the event. Per NASA, a live broadcast of the launch that's taking place out of [Kennedy Space Center]() in Florida will include, along with the aforementioned, musical performances by singer Josh Grobin and Herbie Hancock (who will be performing "The Star Spangled Banner" together) and the Philadelphia Orchestra with Yo-Yo Ma on cello. ## Star Stunning While celebrities like "Star Trek" icon [William Shatner]() and "Good Morning America" host [Michael Strahan]() have made headlines for going to space recently, this Artemis launch event is particularly significant because it kicks off the program intended to put American boots back on the Moon for the first time since the early 1970s. It's a fun cast, but the focus on star power over science and media resources did [draw rebukes]() from some space professionals. To be fair, though, this definitely isn't the first time celebrities have come out to support a NASA launch. In 2011, musicians Jimmy Buffett, Gloria Estefan, and Diana Krall joined the likes of Geraldo Rivera and Kevin Sorbo to [attend NASA's last-ever space shuttle launch](). This latest crop of celeb NASA stans are a bit more A-list than the latter, so their attendance will hopefully make this historic event all the more awesome. **READ MORE:** [NASA Sets Launch Coverage for Artemis Mega Moon Rocket, Spacecraft]() \[NASA\] **More celebrity space stanning:** *[William Shatner Blasts "Supervillain" Elon Musk]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()