
In an unexpected show of team spirit, two NASA astronauts on the International Space Station marked the Super Bowl by tossing around a football in outer space. A video shared by NASA showed Expedition 70 astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara playing with the football inside the space station, complete with a reference to Taylor Swift, who is dating renowned NFL player Travis Kelce. The footage also briefly showed the US flag and other space station equipment floating around the module, creating a surreal and captivating image.
The astronauts’ playful gesture was matched by the Canadian Space Agency, which released a video showing its Dextre robot wearing a football referee jersey on the space station’s hull. “A new referee has a fantastic view from space!” the Canadian Space Agency captioned the video, adding to the lighthearted and jovial spirit surrounding the highly anticipated Super Bowl LVIII. This entertaining and unexpected display served as a heartwarming reminder of the love for sports and camaraderie that spans across various professions and reaches even the most unusual of places, such as outer space.
This offbeat connection between space and sports has a rich history, with NASA engaging in various Super Bowl-related initiatives over the years. From launching an astronaut who was a former NFL football player to testing footballs in space, NASA has consistently sought to unite the worlds of space exploration and sports, ultimately providing delightful little surprises and moments of joy to fans across the globe.