NASA Is Taking Space Exploration to the NFL — Literally

NASA is taking its space program somewhere millions of Americans already have their eyes every Sunday: the NFL.

The agency announced a new collaboration with the league that will bring NASA aircraft flyovers, astronaut appearances and fan experiences to select NFL games this season as part of its new Inspiration Tour.

The first scheduled stops include games in Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Philadelphia and East Rutherford, with additional dates potentially coming later.

What makes the partnership interesting isn't simply seeing NASA aircraft above a football stadium. It's another example of the agency taking space exploration outside traditional science circles and putting it directly in front of mainstream American culture.

NASA says aircraft participating in some of the flyovers aren't ceremonial showpieces. The fleet is used for high-speed testing, high-altitude research, astronaut training and development of technologies that could eventually influence commercial aviation.

The NFL collaboration will ultimately lead toward MAX POWER, NASA's public air-and-space exposition scheduled for November 7–8 near Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The event is expected to showcase next-generation aircraft, spacecraft, autonomous vehicles and other emerging technologies.

For 2LOUD, that's the bigger story worth watching: space is increasingly becoming part of mainstream culture rather than something happening somewhere far away from it.

NASA and the NFL putting aerospace technology in front of football audiences may be one of the clearest examples yet.

Credit: NASA