CMSSF attends ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ premiere

Published July 12, 2024
By Staff Sgt. Adam R. Shanks
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force John Bentivegna attended an early premiere of Sony Pictures’ “Fly Me to the Moon” at the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C., July 10.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force John Bentivegna speaks on a panel at the "Fly Me to the Moon" film premiere in Washington D.C., July 10, 2024. Bentivegna spoke about the Space Force's role in the making of the film and how films about space exploration can inspire people to pursue careers in the space domain. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Adam R. Shanks) — Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force John Bentivegna, third from left, speaks on a panel at the "Fly Me to the Moon" film premiere in Washington D.C., July 10, 2024. Bentivegna spoke about the Space Force's role in the making of the film and how films about space exploration can inspire people to pursue careers in the space domain. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Adam R. Shanks)

During the event, Bentivegna participated in a panel on stage with the film’s director, Greg Berlanti, among others, discussing the making of the movie and the inspiration drawn from the real-life Apollo 11 moon landing story.

Production of the film was supported by both Space Force Guardians and NASA since many of the movie’s sets were filmed on what are now Space Force installations.

“The passion that was captured and what was going on in the nation as we were trying to get men to the moon — we have thousands of Guardians that have that same passion for space every day,” Bentivegna said.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force John Bentivegna takes a photo with the director and producers of "Fly Me to the Moon" during a film premiere in Washington, D.C., July 10, 2024. Bentivegna spoke about the Space Force's role in the making of the film and how films about space exploration can inspire people to pursue careers in the space domain. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Adam R. Shanks) — Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force John Bentivegna, fourth from right, takes a photo with the director and producers of "Fly Me to the Moon" during a film premiere in Washington, D.C., July 10, 2024. Bentivegna spoke about the Space Force's role in the making of the film and how films about space exploration can inspire people to pursue careers in the space domain. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Adam R. Shanks)

Bentivegna touched on parallels from the focus of the movie’s plot, the Apollo 11 moon mission in 1969, to current efforts by NASA to send astronauts back to the moon and test human deep space exploration capabilities. He also spoke about how space exploration can serve to inspire future generations, just as the Apollo program did five decades before, stating, “Space is a lot closer than you think.”

“Not only is space in our daily lives, but it’s only 62 miles away — that’s where the space domain begins,” Bentivegna said. “It's exciting to see people engaging in conversations about space and the vital role of Guardians in making it all possible.”