Categories: Culture

NASA has a ball with Super Bowl tie-ins

A football floats on the International Space Station.
NASA

The folks at NASA enjoy football just as much as anyone. They just look at it a little differently.

NASA found ways to meld sports and science for Sunday’s Super Bowl 53 game between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams.

For example, NASA shared an eye-opening visualization of the immensity of the International Space Station: It’s roughly the size a football field.

Go Deep! 🏈 The @Space_Station measures 357 feet end-to-end, which is about the same size as the football field that the @Patriots & @RamsNFL are playing on today during the #Superbowl. Discover more about our orbiting laboratory: https://t.co/mj1TGNBeai #SBLIII pic.twitter.com/2IXyo664r7

— NASA (@NASA) February 4, 2019

It would take 17 of the under-construction James Webb Space Telescope mirrors to reach across that same field.

Some #NASA trivia to ponder as you watch the #Superbowl today… The James Webb Space Telescope is so big, a total of 17 of #Webb’s mirrors could fit across a football field, endzone to endzone! #SB53 #JWST pic.twitter.com/d9GOq7d0Ns

— NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) February 4, 2019

NASA’s Johnson Space Center recruited astronauts Reid Wiseman and Megan McArthur to show us how to make “space queso” using cheese spread, black beans, corn and rehydrated vegetarian chili, just like the International Space Station crew would prepare it.

The big game is this weekend! Have you started your grocery list? Don’t worry — we’ve got your queso ingredients right here, just like astronauts might enjoy on the International @Space_Station! #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/Edoj1RjB3q

— Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) January 31, 2019

We also learned you can fit 4,625 footballs into the NASA Orion crew module, the space agency’s next-gen transportation capsule for astronauts.

The answer is 4,625 footballs! Did you guess right? pic.twitter.com/zWLIlZIM22

— NASA Ames (@NASAAmes) February 4, 2019

While many of us were watching only a TV screen during the game, the ISS crew also witnessed multiple sunrises and sunsets.

The crew living and working aboard the @Space_Station will see the day begin and end TWICE during today’s #SBLIII. Discover even more space and football facts: https://t.co/YXP3zY2bfl pic.twitter.com/sLW23I7vor

— NASA (@NASA) February 3, 2019

Retired NASA astronaut twins Scott Kelly and Mark Kelly appeared in an Amazon Alexa Super Bowl ad. NASA jumped on the opportunity to direct interested NFL fans to more information about the ISS.

Just saw the @Space_Station appear during the #SuperBowl? It orbits Earth with a crew living and conducting science in microgravity. Learn more about the @ISS_Research & more underway now: https://t.co/74cLLK9Mk0 pic.twitter.com/fYOr9YpDAP

— NASA (@NASA) February 4, 2019

One of NASA’s most creative Super Bowl tie-ins happened when it posted Hubble Space Telescope images featuring the rival teams’ colors.

The Patriots got a supernova, while the Rams got a nebula.

Any @Patriots fans in the house? Show your @SuperBowl spirit and share this supernova with your teams colors, seen by @NASAHubble.

#EverythingWeGot #SBLIII pic.twitter.com/2ZDO2CPpHp

— NASA (@NASA) February 4, 2019

Think the @RamsNFL will take home the title this #SBLIII?@NASAHubble found a nebula just for you 💫 Share this electrifying image of your teams colors to show some #LARams love! pic.twitter.com/2dx2NUjcTX

— NASA (@NASA) February 4, 2019

One aspect of the game that NASA didn’t comment on was the Patriots’ victory. We’ll leave that job up to the Twitter memesters.