Jolie Lee

USA TODAY Network

Friday is the last day to sign up to have your name sent to Mars. (Deadline is midnight EDT.)

If you make it in time, your name will be part of a dime-size microchip on the Orion spacecraft, according to NASA.

As of Friday morning, 1.3 million people had submitted their names and received a "boarding pass."

On Dec. 4, the spacecraft takes its first test flight 3,600 miles from Earth.

It will travel a 4.5-hour, two-orbit trip "before returning to Earth at speeds near 20,000 mph and generating temperatures up to 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit," according to NASA.

No astronauts will be aboard this first flight to test critical systems.

Orion is built to send crews deeper into space than ever before, including to Mars, NASA says.



"When we set foot on the Red Planet, we'll be exploring for all of humanity. Flying these names will enable people to be part of our journey," said Mark Geyer, Orion Program manager, in a statement.

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