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For Immediate Release:
March 26, 2026
Contact:
Hannah Nelson 202-483-7382
Washington –
Ahead of the launch of NASA’s Artemis II mission—marking humanity’s first trip to the moon in more than 50 years—PETA sent a letter today to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, offering to contribute to the celebrations by blasting off an assortment of stellar gourmet vegan cheeses—that do not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions as dairy does—for the agency to enjoy. In the letter, PETA notes that if the moon really were made of cheese, it should be vegan, because today’s dairy‑free cheeses deliver out‑of‑this‑world flavor—without the cruelty, environmental destruction, or human health risks tied to dairy.
PETA points out that cholesterol-laden dairy should be a no-go for anyone who cares about protecting the Earth and the many intelligent lifeforms who call it home, given that the dairy industry tears newborn calves away from their distraught mothers and dumps tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere—with each cow burping out about 220 pounds of methane annually. Tasty vegan cheeses, meanwhile, are kind to animals, the planet, and humans’ arteries.
Credit: Rebel Cheese
“A cow might not have truly jumped over the moon, but we know they’d be jumping for joy if NASA helped lead the Milky Way to a dairy-free future,” says PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA encourages everyone to do right by the Earth and all of its inhabitants by gravitating toward animal- and planet-friendly vegan foods.”
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help anyone looking to make the switch. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
PETA’s letter to Isaacman follows.
March 26, 2026
Jared Isaacman
Administrator, NASA
Dear Mr. Isaacman:
I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals—PETA entities have more than 10.4 million members and supporters globally, including thousands in D.C. and hundreds of thousands across Florida—to congratulate you on the upcoming moonshot. If the moon were made of cheese, you can bet it’d be vegan—because nondairy cheeses are out of this world. So, to celebrate your upcoming mission, we’re offering to launch in your direction a package of artisanal cheeses that do not come from the exploitation of intelligent forms of life here on Earth—namely, cows—but from plants. Please allow me to elaborate.
While animal agriculture acts like a meateor threatening Earth, vegan foods protect it. Animal agriculture is one of the most astronomically destructive forces on our planet. Cow farming drives about 80% of deforestation in the Amazon and 41% of tropical deforestation worldwide. In the U.S., the dairy industry produces up to 25% of our country’s total ammonia emissions and uses nearly 44,000 square miles of land—almost the size of Virginia. In comparison, vegan meals cut food-based carbon emissions by 46% and land use by 33%.
Making compassionate choices isn’t rocket science. Cows form strong maternal bonds with their calves and, like all mothers, produce milk only to feed their babies. Yet on dairy farms, cows are forcibly manually impregnated and their calves are taken from them within minutes of birth so that the milk meant to nourish them can be sold. Male calves are slaughtered for veal, and female calves are raised to endure the same cycle of exploitation as their mothers. Once their bodies are depleted after repeated pregnancies, they, too, are sent to slaughter.
Research consistently shows that going vegan is one of the most powerful steps individuals can take to improve their health. Humans are the only animals to consume milk from another species and to continue drinking it past infancy. Eating vegan is associated with lower risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer, and it allows people to avoid the cholesterol and saturated fat found in animal‑derived foods.
After trying some of the many dairy-free delicacies available on Earth, everyone at NASA will surely gravitate toward foods that are kind to animals and the planet. Perhaps the cow didn’t really jump over the moon, but here at PETA we’d certainly be over the moon to hear from you that you’ll accept the cheese. Please let us know.
Very truly yours,
Ingrid Newkirk
Founder