The Artemis 2 astronauts got a private 'Project Hail Mary' screening before launch. Here's their verdict

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Ryan Gosling plays Ryland Grace in "Project Hail Mary" (Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios)

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NASA’s Orion spacecraft and Artemis 2 crew just completed their awe-inspiring loop around the moon on Monday, April 6, as the world watched this historic record-breaking endeavor.

Now Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen are heading home to Mother Earth, where they’ll end their space adventure by splashing down safely in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, April 10.

But let’s rewind before their initial April 1 liftoff to the four astronauts’ Kennedy Space Center quarantine period in Houston, where they were treated to a viewing of Amazon MGM Studios' "Project Hail Mary" to bolster their spirits ahead of their monumental 10-day lunar voyage.

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promo image of four astronauts in orange spacesuits

NASA's official crew photo of the Artemis 2 astronauts (Image credit: NASA)

"We were all really lucky," Hansen shared during a live interview on Sunday. "We got to watch 'Hail Mary' when we were in quarantine. That was a real treat that they sent us a link to view that at home with our families, getting us ready to go on our own space adventure."

In the blockbuster sci-fi adventure directed by Chris Miller & Phil Lord and adapted from Andy Weir’s 2021 novel, Ryan Gosling portrays Ryland Grace, a middle-grade teacher and molecular biologist who reluctantly ventures into deep space to unravel a cosmic mystery and hopefully save Earth from sun-eating alien microbes. The movie's message of friendship, cooperation, sacrifice, and hope deeply resonated with the Artemis 2 team as a refreshing tonic before their big moon launch.

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"I would just say to Ryan, art imitates science and vice versa, it seems," he added during the Canadian Space Agency’s Q&A press chat.

"He did a great job in that movie. It's wonderful to see people really leaning into those roles. I thought it was just such an inspirational example, and somebody who goes out there and just gets what was done to save humanity. It’s a pretty extraordinary example that we can all follow. We all thought that movie was really uplifting and inspiring."

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Marking the occasion and providing encouraging words to the three American astronauts and one Canadian astronaut, Ryan Gosling recorded a brief encouraging video for the moon-bound foursome.

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"The Artemis 2 astronauts are going to space for real, and they will travel farther from Earth than any humans in history," the Canadian actor stated. “Sending all our best wishes to the Artemis 2 crew.”

Artemis 2’s Orion capsule and its four astronaut crew members are scheduled to splash down off the coast of San Diego at roughly 5:07 p.m. PDT on Friday, April 10.

Project Hail Mary is still available to watch in theaters, and you can also check out the book that it's based on, written by "The Martian" author Andy Weir.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir: was $32 now $21.59 at Amazon

A lone astronaut must save the Earth from disaster in this propulsive, cinematic thriller full of suspense, humor, and fascinating science.

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Jeff SpryContributing Writer

Jeff Spry is an award-winning screenwriter and veteran freelance journalist covering TV, movies, video games, books, and comics. His work has appeared at SYFY Wire, Inverse, Collider, Bleeding Cool and elsewhere. Jeff lives in beautiful Bend, Oregon amid the ponderosa pines, classic muscle cars, a crypt of collector horror comics, and two loyal English Setters.

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