Christina Koch, Artemis II Mission Specialist, Will Meet Eagles Fans in Philadelphia on Sunday

NASA astronaut Christina Koch will appear at the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Los Angeles Rams game in Philadelphia on Sunday, October 4, as part of the agency's Inspiration Tour, NASA said in a release published on nasa.gov.

Koch flew to the moon on April 1 as a mission specialist aboard the Orion spacecraft, which rode on top of NASA's SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, according to the same NASA release. She and her three crewmates completed a lunar flyby, the first time humans had traveled to the vicinity of the Moon in more than 50 years, NASA said. Koch has logged a total of 338 days in space across two missions, the agency said.

She is also, by her own account, a Philadelphia sports fan.

NASA team members will run an Experience Zone outside the stadium from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. before kickoff, the agency said. Fans can learn about the Artemis program through interactive games, a selfie station, and a large inflatable NASA logo, according to the release.

The Sunday appearance is one stop on NASA's Inspiration Tour, which the agency describes as a series of events connecting the agency with academic, industry, and public sector stakeholders across the country. The tour is scheduled to end with a two-day public exposition called MAX POWER on November 7 and 8 at and near Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA said. The agency describes MAX POWER as a family-friendly showcase of next-generation aircraft, spacecraft, autonomous vehicles, and related technologies, timed to coincide with the United States' 250th anniversary.

The Artemis II mission splashed down in the Pacific Ocean after a 10-day journey, according to local coverage of the mission. The crew traveled 695,081 miles and looped around the far side of the Moon, that same coverage reported. What the crew's full post-mission schedule looks like beyond the Inspiration Tour stops is not in the NASA release.

Koch brought a small piece of Eagles history along on the mission. She posted photos to Instagram showing Super Bowl 59 confetti she had carried around the Moon as a surprise for her husband, according to accounts of the post. The Eagles organization responded during the mission by posting an Earthrise image with the words "GO BIRDS" on it, according to accounts of the event.

Since returning, Koch has made several public appearances in the Philadelphia area. She threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Philadelphia Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park and joined the NBC Sports Philadelphia broadcast booth for part of that game, according to accounts of the event. She also attended a Philadelphia Flyers playoff game, according to accounts of that visit.

NASA has not said which additional cities or events are on the Inspiration Tour schedule beyond the MAX POWER exposition in November. For more on that event, NASA points readers to nasa.gov/maxpower.

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