\u201cA cow might not have truly jumped over the moon, but we know they\u2019d be jumping for joy if NASA helped lead the Milky Way to a dairy-free future,\u201d says PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk. \u201cPETA encourages everyone to do right by the Earth and\u00a0all\u00a0of its inhabitants by\u00a0gravitating\u00a0toward animal- and planet-friendly vegan foods.\u201d<\/p>\n PETA\u2014whose motto reads, in part, that \u201canimals are not ours to eat\u201d\u2014points out that Every Animal Is Someone<\/a>\u00a0and offers free\u00a0Empathy Kits<\/a>\u00a0for people who need a lesson in kindness. PETA\u2019s\u00a0free\u00a0vegan\u00a0starter\u00a0kit<\/a>\u00a0can help anyone looking to make the switch.\u00a0For more information, please visit\u00a0PETA.org<\/a>\u00a0or follow PETA on\u00a0X<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>, or\u00a0Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n PETA\u2019s letter to Isaacman follows.<\/p>\n March 26, 2026<\/p>\n Jared Isaacman<\/p>\n Administrator, NASA<\/p>\n Dear Mr. Isaacman:<\/p>\n I\u2019m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals\u2014PETA entities have more than 10.4 million members and supporters globally, including thousands in D.C. and hundreds of thousands across Florida\u2014to congratulate you on the upcoming moonshot.\u00a0If the moon were made of cheese, you can bet it\u2019d be vegan\u2014because nondairy cheeses are\u00a0out of this world. So, to celebrate your upcoming mission, we\u2019re offering to\u00a0launch\u00a0in your direction a package of artisanal cheeses that do not come from the exploitation of intelligent forms of life here on Earth\u2014namely, cows\u2014but from plants. Please allow me to elaborate.<\/p>\n While animal agriculture acts like a\u00a0meateor threatening Earth, vegan foods protect it. Animal agriculture is one of the most\u00a0astronomically\u00a0destructive 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\u2019s total ammonia emissions and uses nearly 44,000 square miles of land\u2014almost the size of Virginia. In comparison, vegan meals cut food-based carbon emissions by 46% and land use by 33%.<\/p>\n Making compassionate choices isn\u2019t rocket science. Cows form strong maternal bonds with their calves and, like all mothers, produce milk\u00a0only\u00a0to 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2011derived foods.<\/p>\n After trying some of the many dairy-free delicacies available on Earth, everyone at NASA will surely\u00a0gravitate\u00a0toward foods that are kind to animals and the planet. Perhaps the cow didn\u2019t really jump over the moon, but here at PETA we\u2019d certainly be over the moon to hear from you that you\u2019ll accept the cheese.\u00a0Please let us know.<\/p>\n Very truly yours,<\/p>\n Ingrid Newkirk<\/p>\n Founder<\/p>\n \t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-59-602x591.png\"\/)
<\/a>Credit: Rebel Cheese<\/p>\n