NASA chief promises football to Moon on US World Cup victory

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has pledged to send a football to the Moon should the United States emerge victorious in the upcoming World Cup. This ambitious promise was announced Tuesday during an event where NASA detailed its strategies for establishing a base on the lunar surface.

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So the challenge is given - team USA, get the job done.

Nelson directly challenged the U.S. team, stating, "So the challenge is given - Team USA, get the job done." This call to action references the American players' task in the tournament. NASA has previously sent an official FIFA ball to the International Space Station (ISS) in honor of the U.S. co-hosting the World Cup with Mexico and Canada this year.

However, if the U.S. team were to win the championship, a feat Nelson acknowledges as a "long shot," he vowed to send a football further into space than ever before. He invoked the memory of Alan Shepard, the first American in space in 1961, who famously smuggled a golf club and balls to the Moon and took a few swings there in 1971. "We will surpass Alan Shepard," Nelson declared, adding, "We will get that football up there."

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We will surpass Alan Shepard.

Should the football embark on its lunar journey, it would be part of a payload carrying scientific instruments, aligning with broader American plans to construct a lunar base in the coming years. Carlos Garcia-Galan, NASA's program manager for the lunar base, supported the idea, stating, "If the USA wins the World Cup, we will find space for it." With a wry smile, he acknowledged the difficulty of the players' task but confirmed the ball's light weight would not impede its inclusion on the mission.

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We will get that football up there.

Garcia-Galan concluded by saying, "Now it's up to the U.S. men's national team, so good luck." The U.S. team is set to play its first knockout match against Bosnia and Herzegovina early Thursday morning.

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If the USA wins the World Cup, we will find space for it.