NASA held a free interactive exhibit at the FIFA Fan Festival in East Downtown Houston from June 11 through July 19. The exhibit introduced a global audience to the International Space Station, Moon Base, the Artemis program, and the future of human space exploration.
The display included an Orion spacecraft exhibit, an International Space Station model, and NASA’s Orion Crew Survival System suit. Visitors also viewed Hubble Space Telescope imagery, astromaterials, a Lunar and Mars Touch Table, and a space-flown FIFA World Cup soccer ball.
Attendees could use a lunar rover simulator to drive across a virtual lunar surface.
People who explored the NASA exhibit during the tournament
Astronaut participation and stadium appearances
Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman and Pilot Victor Glover participated in World Cup activities as stadium captains before the Netherlands-Sweden match at NRG Stadium. More than 67,000 fans at NRG Stadium gave Wiseman and Glover a standing ovation.
Expedition 74 crew members recorded greetings that played during matches and at Fan Festival events across the United States and Mexico. European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot recorded a 'Viking Row' aboard the space station, while ESA astronauts Andreas Mogensen and Marcus Wandt participated in a tribute to connect fans on Earth with life in orbit.
NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei took the FIFA Fan Festival stage to share his journey and kicked the ceremonial soccer ball to close NASA's participation.
STEM and community engagement
In collaboration with Adidas, NASA developed a STEMonstration filmed aboard the International Space Station to demonstrate the connection between space physics and soccer.
We could not have done this without the incredible NASA team who volunteered.
Cordero stated that NASA volunteers connected with fans to share excitement regarding Artemis III and NASA’s return to the Moon.
