Trump’s space-themed ad pulled after it violated NASA guidelines

The Trump reelection campaign posted the video, Make Space Great Again on YouTube June 3. It was nearly three minutes long and featured parts of speeches from former President John F. Kennedy and Trump, as well as shots of the astronauts who were launched into space last Saturday from American soil for the first time in nearly a decade.

Trump did attend the launch of the SpaceX Demo-2 commercial crew mission on May 30, and he did give a speech at the Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building shortly after the Crew Dragon reached orbit, but while the ad featured a voiceover by Trump, it did not include his remarks from the launch.

The Trump Campaign instead, used parts of a speech Trump gave in June 2018 at a meeting of the National Space Council at the White House. “Once more, we will launch intrepid souls blazing through the sky and soaring into the heavens,” Trump said in a snippet of that 2018 speech played in the ad. “Once more, we will summon the American spirit to tame the next great American frontier.”

NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley, left, and Robert Behnken, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, are seen as they depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A to board the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft

Bill INGALLS, NASA/AFP

The ad made extensive use of NASA and SpaceX video from the launch of the Demo-2 Mission, as well as closeups of the astronauts, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley. There were additional pieces of video featuring NASA employees, as well as SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

The thing is – while NASA makes video and images available, and so does SpaceX most of the time, the extensive use of the astronauts in the video appears to be in violation of NASA’s media guidelines.

“As a government agency, NASA will not promote or endorse or appear to promote or endorse a commercial product, service or activity,” the site reads. “Astronauts or employees who are currently employed by NASA cannot have their names, likenesses or other personality traits displayed in any advertisements or marketing material.”

Astronaut Doug Hurley’s wife, Karen Nyberg, a retired astronaut, also complained on Twitter about being featured in the ad without her consent.

I find it disturbing that a video image of me and my son is being used in political propaganda without my knowledge or consent. That is wrong. @nasa @JimBridenstine June 4, 2020

Less than two hours after Nyberg’s tweet, YouTube removed the ad. It’s not clear whether NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine, who accompanied Trump at last Saturday’s launch, was aware of the ad beforehand.