FLORIDA, USA — NASA is offering a unique opportunity for people to send their names to space on the Artemis II mission. You can secure a virtual boarding pass, adding your name to an SD card that will be included on the mission’s spacecraft.

By registering, your name will become part of the crew’s journey as they embark on a mission to orbit the Moon and return, testing crucial equipment and systems needed for future deep space exploration.

“Artemis II plays a pivotal role in our mission to bring humans back to the Moon’s surface and lays the groundwork for future Mars expeditions. It’s also a way to inspire people worldwide, offering them a chance to engage with our pioneering efforts in human space exploration,” stated Lori Glaze, the acting associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

“Artemis II is a key test flight in our effort to return humans to the Moon’s surface and build toward future missions to Mars, and it’s also an opportunity to inspire people across the globe and to give them an opportunity to follow along as we lead the way in human exploration deeper into space,” said Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, in a statement. 

People can get their name sent to space by inputting their first and last name on NASA’s Artemis II webpage. They will also be prompted to choose a PIN number ranging between 4-7 digits. 

Once given the digital boarding pass, people will have the option to be a virtual guest for the launch and can sign up for mission updates and other details. The estimated 10-day Artemis II test flight is expected to launch no later than April 2026, according to NASA. 

Crew commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and Christina Koch — longtime NASA astronauts with spaceflight experience — will be joined on the 10-day mission by Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, a former fighter pilot awaiting his first rocket ride.

They will be the first people to fly to the moon since Apollo 17’s Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt closed out the triumphant lunar-landing program in 1972. Twelve astronauts strolled the lunar surface, beginning with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in 1969. Only four moonwalkers are still alive; Aldrin, the oldest, turns 96 on Tuesday.

“They are so fired up that we are headed back to the moon,” Wiseman said. “They just want to see humans as far away from Earth as possible discovering the unknown.”

NASA is waiting to conduct a fueling test of the SLS rocket on the pad in early February before confirming a launch date.

“We’ve, I think, zero intention of communicating an actual launch date” until completing the fueling demo, Isaacman told reporters.

The space agency has only five days to launch in the first half of February before bumping into March.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.