Theme Ride Thursday: Blast Off! Space Day Meets May the 4th 🚀

Theme Ride Thursday: Out of This World! Celebrate National Space Day and May the 4th

Get ready to launch your riders into another galaxy! The first Friday in May (this year, May 2, 2025) marks National Space Day, and just two days later, it’s the fan-favorite Star Wars Day—May the 4th Be With You. The universe has truly aligned to make this the perfect week for a space-themed ride.

Whether your class is filled with sci-fi fans, trivia lovers, or just those who enjoy a good galactic playlist, we’ve got you covered with multiple ICA profiles and bucket playlists that will transport your riders to the stars.

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🌌 A Little Background on National Space Day

Originally launched (pun intended) by Lockheed Martin in 1997 as a one-time event, National Space Day became so popular that astronaut and Senator John Glenn helped turn it into an annual International Space Day in 2001. It’s celebrated every first Friday of May to honor the achievements and mysteries of space exploration.

Want to sprinkle in some space trivia during recoveries or transitions? Here are a few mind-blowing facts to get you started:

🚀 The first Space Day was celebrated in 1997.
🔇 Sound doesn’t travel in space—there’s no atmosphere to carry it.
🌞 The sun is so massive, over a million Earths could fit inside it.
🔵 Mars sunsets are blue.
🔥 Venus is the hottest planet, with a surface temp of 450°C.
🕰 A day on Venus is longer than a year on Earth because of its slow axis rotation.
🪐 Saturn is so light it could float in water—if you had a bathtub big enough.

[Need more? Here are 103 space trivia questions to pepper into your ride!]

🌠 May the 4th Be With You

Got Star Wars fans in your classes? (Let’s be real…who isn’t a little obsessed?) Test their Force knowledge with these trivia questions:

🍼 What’s Baby Yoda’s real name?
👪 Who are Kylo Ren’s parents?
🎬 What episode number was the first Star Wars film released?
🚀 What’s the name of Han Solo’s ship?
🤕 Luke lost which hand in a fight with Darth Vader?
🐌 Who killed Jabba the Hutt?
⚠️ According to Yoda, what leads to the dark side?
💥 Who killed Han Solo?

[Click here for answers and even more Star Wars trivia!]

🎶 Song Suggestions and Soundbites

Your playlist can orbit around songs about:

• Space and sci-fi

• Planets, stars, the moon, and Earth

• Rocket ships, astronauts, aliens, and the great beyond

Don’t forget to drop in “The Imperial March” or the iconic Main Theme for dramatic climbs in your space-themed ride. Your riders will feel like they’re leading the charge on the Death Star.

 

Let’s not forget about Star Trek—you don’t want your Trekkies to feel left out! 

Use Monty Python’s “Galaxy Song” as a cheeky recovery track—it’s surprisingly accurate! In fact, the San Jose Astronomical Association verified many of the lyrics. You can even turn some of the lyrics into trivia questions!

🚴‍♂️ ICA Ride Profiles to Choose From

We’ve got a constellation of options for you:

• “A Journey Through Space,” by Bill Pierce

• “The Eagle Has Landed,” Jennifer’s tribute to the 50th anniversary of the lunar landing

• “Tears From the Moon,” a lunar eclipse profile (easily adapted with songs from our moon-themed playlists)

Bonus: This year, there’s a full moon on May 5, so moon-themed profiles are especially timely!

🎧 Bucket Playlists for Your Interstellar Ride

Choose from these four curated playlists:

1. SCI-FI / OUTER SPACE – 235+ songs

2. MOON / EARTH / STARS / PLANETS – 255+ songs

3. ALIENS / UFO – 35 tracks that’ll make you feel like you’ve been abducted (in the best way)

4. SPACE SOUNDBITES – 37 songs with rocket launches, mission control audio, and astronaut chatter

These add cinematic flair and an immersive touch to your ride. Know any other tracks with NASA recordings or alien themes? Drop me a note in the comments—we’re always expanding our galaxy of songs.

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🪐 Whether you choose to go full Jedi or just orbit the edge of space with some cool science-themed songs, this week’s Theme Ride Thursday is a stellar opportunity to get creative.

Let the Force—and the playlist—guide you.