WATCH: When Avengers Actor Chris Evans Interviewed NASA Astronauts As His Film Lightyear Kicked Off
Capt America star Chris Evans interviewed astronaut Thomas H. Marshburn, who consulted on the film, and two members of the International Space Station.
Actor Chris Evans, who lent his voice to the lead character in the space-themed movie ‘Lightyear’, visited NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) before the release of the film. JPL said Capt America star was there to learn more about space missions, and interviewed astronaut Thomas H. Marshburn, who consulted on the film, and two members of the International Space Station (ISS) during the visit.
JPL has now shared on Twitter a video of the interaction.
“Chris learned what it’s like to work and live in Earth orbit,” JPL said in the tweet.
As part of the kickoff for #Lightyear, @ChrisEvans visited JPL and interviewed @AstroMarshburn, who consulted on the film, and two members of the @Space_Station crew. Chris learned what it’s like to work and live in Earth orbit. pic.twitter.com/Reh856FzJC
— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) June 30, 2022
Marshburn told Evans about every astronaut's “favorite place” to see from space — their hometown. They can also see "bright spots of fishing boats in the middle of the ocean and unique views of every continent," JPL said in the tweet thread sharing clips of the interaction.
As Chris asked what it was like adjusting to the new environment, astronaut Jessica Watkins said from ISS the hardest part was training her brain to work in 3D while in zero gravity.
Evans also spoke to Suzy Dodd, the project manager for NASA Voyager and director of the Interplanetary Network Directorate at JPL.
Sharing the video in the thread, JPL said: “The Voyager spacecraft represent the past, Dodd said, while newer ones such as @NASAWebb, are the future. Images from Webb will be released in July, giving more insight into our universe.”
Evans made the trip to JPL in Southern California on June 6. The NASA lab had then said the actor received a "boarding pass" to the Moon from Dodd.
More than 3 million names, including that of Evans, were submitted online, and would be included on a flash drive that will be on the Orion spacecraft flying to the Moon during NASA's Artemis I mission, JPL said on its website.
The Orion spacecraft will launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. According to NASA, Artemis I will be the first uncrewed flight test of the Space Launch System rocket, and the programme “aims to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon that will serve as a launching pad for exploring Mars and beyond”.
After his trip to JPL, evans posted a 'thank you' message on Instagram along with an image.
"Thank you so much to everyone at @nasajpl!!!! I had such an amazing time. I could’ve stayed there all day. And thank you SO much to the astronauts in the ISS that let me ask endless questions while you undoubtedly had more pressing issues to address. I’m in awe of what you do."
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