Did Artemis II Crew Get Early Access to Project Hail Mary? Here’s What They Said

Space exploration has always been a fascinating topic, both in fictional worlds of movies and books and in reality. There’s something very alluring about a section of the world that eludes the wildest imaginations of humans. That’s also why filmmakers are eager to make movies set in space or that perhaps involve interplanetary travel. The latest sci-fi flick, Project Hail Mary, gained popularity for these reasons and more, quickly becoming one of the best movies of 2026. 

On the other hand, reality is trying to play catch-up as NASA is sending a crew aboard Artemis II back around the Moon for the first time in decades. This unexpected crossover with pop culture also made headlines. 

The crew, including Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, revealed they had already watched Project Hail Mary, the new sci-fi film starring Ryan Gosling. The astronauts got to see the movie before embarking on their mission, feeling a huge sense of encouragement and support from the movie industry. Now, all eyes are on the crew and their findings.

Astronaut Jeremy Hansen Loved Project Hail Mary

Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen | Image Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani

Members of the Artemis II crew got to watch Project Hail Mary before their mission, though not in a secret or exclusive NASA-only screening. According to verified reports, the astronauts viewed the film with their families ahead of launch as part of pre-mission activities. (via The Guardian)

Hansen, who is also from Ontario, Canada, like Gosling, spoke warmly about the experience. He is also set to be the first non-American citizen to fly to the moon. He described the film as “a real treat”, highlighting how meaningful it was to watch a space-focused story just before embarking on a historic mission of his own. 

He also emphasized the deeper connection between storytelling and real-world exploration, saying,

So while it wasn’t “early access” in the sense of a classified screening, the Artemis II crew did watch the film ahead of its wider cultural impact, making it a unique pre-launch experience. Gosling also showed his support for the mission and gave his best wishes to the crew ahead of the lift-off that happened on April 1, 2026.

Is Project Hail Mary Based on A Real Mission?

Despite its scientific grounding, Project Hail Mary is not based on a real NASA mission. The story finds its inspiration from the 2021 novel by Andy Weir, known for adding true-to-life science with fictional storytelling. 

The plot follows Ryland Grace, a schoolteacher-turned-astronaut who wakes up alone on a spacecraft with no memory. He is tasked with saving Earth from an existential cosmic threat, raising the stakes of the story and keeping the audience hooked throughout. The mission itself is fictional, involving interstellar travel to a distant star system, something humans have not been able to decode yet. 

However, what makes the story stand out is the way it explains every phenomenon in detail and does not waver from the truth. The narrative is grounded in plausible physics, engineering concepts, and real science.

The Artemis II mission shares thematic similarities with Project Hail Mary as both missions are based on exploration, risk, and pushing human limits. Though Project Hail Mary is not a depiction of an actual mission, it aptly reflects the spirit of space exploration that real astronauts, including the Artemis II crew, are actively living out.

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