Ace Frehley of KISS passed away in September. He fell and reportedly suffered a brain bleed that led to his untimely death. Fans were shocked and saddened by the beloved guitarist's loss. Now, in the wake of that tragic event, some of them are pushing for Frehley to receive a never-before-conferred honor from NASA. Per Parade, they want to have the rocker named an honorary astronaut. No wonder - his nickname was the Spaceman! Whether the famed space agency will agree remains to be seen.
Videos by Wide Open Country
As of Monday afternoon, the petition had just shy of 1,000 signatures.
NASA has not ever reportedly granted a request for someone to be considered an "honorary" astronaut. People usually become astronauts only after a very rigorous and intensive training regimen.
The Petition Makes a Case for Frehley's Possible NASA Honor
According to People, the Change.org petition states this. "On October 16, 2025, the world lost not just a legend, not just a rock icon, but also a good man. Paul Daniel 'Ace' Frehley, at the tender age of 21, was brave enough to take one small orange step and one small red step, and make the giant leap into the global phenomenon that we all now know as KISS. And while MOST of his dreams ended up coming true, at least ONE did NOT."
The petition continued, "When he suddenly passed away from a brain bleed following a head injury at 74, he was still only merely PLAYING the character of a Space Cadet. He NEVER got to be one for REAL. In honor of his memory, all the lives directly and indirectly impacted by him, and his one last remaining unfulfilled wish, NASA should posthumously make Ace Frehley an honorary astronaut with the rank of 'Captain,' because a celestial being of his caliber doesn't deserve anything less of a send-off than this. His last countdown should be his absolute BEST!"
Some Fans Scoffed Outright at the Idea
A few people took to Reddit to say they thought the initiative was misguided.
Posted one sarcastically, "Let's meet halfway and launch Gene Simmons into space."
Said another, "Dumb. Hope NASA ignores."
From a third, "Totally dumb and I too hope that NASA ignores."
Someone else posted, "Then what? Nominate Keith Richards for a Nobel Prize in Chemistry?"
What Was Frehley's Interest in Space Based Upon?
Per Parade, the musician had a longtime affinity for the heavens. He said, "I was inspired by the Spaceman persona because I loved sci?'fi and wanted to bring that energy to our shows. Each character represents a part of our personalities." Thus Frehley's passion fed into KISS's wildly unmistakable costumes and makeup.
