September 13, 2026

— NASA traded space for sports history on Sunday (Sept. 13), in a high-profile demonstration of its aeronautics and space capabilities.

The agency deployed two of its astronaut training jets for the first-ever flyover of a National Football League (NFL) game. The performance kicked off the action as the Pittsburgh Steelers then took on the Atlanta Falcons at Acrisure Stadium.

"This is the first season NASA is taking part in flyovers at NFL games, bringing the excitement of America's space program directly to fans across the country," said Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator, who was in Pittsburgh to see the first flyover firsthand.

"We're returning to the moon, building a Moon Base, advancing fission-powered spacecraft and pushing the boundaries in aeronautics, science and discovery. Achieving those ambitions will take the very best of America and partnering with the NFL gives us an incredible platform to inspire the next generation to look up and imagine the possibilities," said Isaacman in a statement about the new "NFL Inspiration Tour."

NASA kicks off NFL Inspiration Tour. Click to enlarge video in new pop-up window. (NASA)

At the game, Art Rooney II, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, presented Isaacman and flight director Anthony Vareha ("Enterprise Flight") a "Terrible Towel" featuring the NASA insignia. Vareha is originally from Monroeville, near Pittsburgh.

Additional flyovers are scheduled for the Baltimore Ravens versus New Orleans Saints game at M&T Bank Stadium in Maryland on Sunday, Sept. 20; the Philadelphia Eagles versus Los Angeles Rams game at Lincoln Financial Field in Pennsylvania on Sunday, Oct. 4; and the New York Jets versus Cleveland Browns game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday, Oct. 11.

More dates may be added to the tour, according to NASA.

The aircraft used in the flyover may change with each game. NASA said that the flights will showcase its fleet of aircraft, which are used for "high-speed testing, high-altitude research, astronaut training and more."

At the Steelers game, the two jets were Northrop T-38 "Talon" supersonic trainers. One of the pair, tail number N924NA, is currently the only T-38 among NASA's 14 active jets operated out of Ellington Field by the Johnson Space Center in Houston to feature an Artemis moon program-themed livery.

The other T-38, bearing NASA's iconic blue stripe paint scheme, was N921NA.

Flying the jets on Sunday were NASA research pilot and operations branch chief Brett Pugsley as lead pilot, wing pilot Christopher Condon and co-pilot Geoff Palmer. Supporting them were Brad Nesmith and Rufus Brennemen as ground liaisons and Matthew Nauta and Jonathan Weeks were the aircraft maintenance crew. The flyover was staged out of Pittsburgh International Airport.

NASA regularly flies its T-38 jets and other aircraft to maintain the health of the fleet, keep up its astronauts' flight proficiency and provide them experience working in a dynamic, high-stress environment similar to spaceflight. Historically, NASA has shied away from using its aircraft for aerial demonstrations. The most notable exception has been "Missing Man" flyovers at memorial services for its fallen astronauts and NASA officials.

In addition to the flyovers, the NASA Inspiration Tour is bringing astronaut appearances and fan engagement experiences to the selected NFL games. On Sunday, that included a chance for the public to see up close a moon rock that was brought to Earth by the Apollo 15 astronauts in 1971, as well as a towering inflatable of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), the rocket being used to fly humans back to the moon.

"We're here to spread the word about America's space program, inspire the next generation and put a little NASA airpower over the stadium," the communications team at NASA posted on social media.

Although this was its first T-38 flyover, the NFL and NASA have collaborated to bring space to the football field before. During past Super Bowl championship games, astronauts on the International Space Station have flipped the coin to decide which team possesses the ball; flown all 32 teams' jerseys and the official game ball into Earth orbit; and have staged an outdoor space exhibition, complete with a VR-enhanced drop tower, when the Big Game came to Houston in 2017.

The new Inspiration Tour will culminate in MAX POWER, a public exposition of American air and space innovation to be held Nov. 7 and 8, on and near the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Held in honor of America's historic 250th anniversary, the multi-day, family-friendly event will showcase the next-generation aircraft, spacecraft, autonomous vehicles, and technologies that will help define the future of transportation in air and space.