NASA is launching your name to the Moon and it's completely free

NASA has given us the chance to journey closer to the Moon than ever before - by sending our names to orbit it during an upcoming mission.

We've already heard about the zoos letting us name a cockroach after an ex.

But this is arguably way cooler; and, let's face it, the closest to the Moon the vast majority of us are ever going to get.

By no later than April 2026, NASA's Artemis II mission will lift off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

For the first time in 54 years, four astronauts will travel around the Moon - a huge milestone since Apollo.

The 10-day mission will send the crew on a 230,000-mile journey from Earth, looping them in a figure-eight path around the far side of the Moon.

An illustration of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket (NASA)

At their most distant point, they’ll fly about 4,600 miles beyond the lunar surface before swinging back for a fiery re-entry and splashdown in the Pacific.

They'll become the first ever crew to test the new Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket - so it's a pretty big deal.

During the mission, they'll carry out checks on life-support systems and study how humans handle deep space radiation and communication challenges.

NASA's Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Christina Hammock Koch and Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen were selected for the Artemis II mission in 2023. They'll make history as they help pave the way for future lunar and Mars missions.

Astronauts Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Christina Hammock Koch will orbit the Moon (MARK FELIX/AFP via Getty Images)

And now you can be part of this ground-breaking moment in time, too, by having your name orbit the Moon.

And it doesn't involve decades of hard work and intense training...

NASA has invited the public to sign their names up for their 'Send Your Name with Artemis II' campaign - and it's completely free of charge.

All you need to do is enter your first and last name and create a pin number via its website here.

In return, you receive a virtual boarding pass with your name and information on it, as a collectable.

Your name could be written among the stars... kind of (NASA)

Submitted names will be included on an SD card that will fly inside Orion when the Artemis II mission launches in 2026.

Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said: "Artemis II is a key test flight in our effort to return humans to the Moon’s surface and build toward future missions to Mars, and it’s also an opportunity to inspire people across the globe and to give them an opportunity to follow along as we lead the way in human exploration deeper into space."