This post contains major spoilers for Fly Me to the Moon

Fly Me to the Moon’s ending is a happily ever after affair for all involved. Starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, the film follows the leads as they prepare for Apollo 11’s mission to the moon. Fly Me to the Moon’s movie reviews have been mostly positive, with many critics praising Tatum and Johansson, and its rom-com story. The film, directed by Greg Berlanti, ends with NASA successfully sending astronauts to land on the moon. Kelly admits the truth to Cole, and they come up with a plan to counter Moe Berkus’ fake footage of the moon landing.

With the help of Kelly’s assistant and key NASA employees, they’re able to rewire the camera they’ve attached to the space shuttle and link it to a new TV to monitor both the real and fake footage. Moe watches the fake setup thinking it’s the one being broadcast. However, the black cat crashes the fake set, confirming the real footage is the one that’s airing. Moe is relieved and asks Kelly to destroy the set and any documents associated with Project Artemis. Kelly reveals her real name, Winnie, to Cole and the pair start anew.

Fly Me To The Moon’s Project Artemis Explained (Was It Real?)

Moe Berkus started Project Artemis in the film

Moe introduced Project Artemis in Fly Me to the Moon as a backup to the actual moon landing. Worried that something could go wrong, Moe wanted Project Artemis — named after the moon goddess and Apollo’s twin sister — to be a staged and filmed moon landing attempt to ensure the public success of the Apollo 11 space mission. Moe suggests the president doesn’t know about it when he pitches it to Kelly, though Project Artemis was not a real government project. The staged moon landing is based on a real conspiracy theory, though, which suggests the moon landing never happened.

Interestingly, NASA did establish an Artemis program in 2017 to return people to the moon, which hadn’t happened since 1972’s Apollo 17 mission, and establish a base on its surface. From there, astronauts would be able to fly missions to Mars. Artemis 1 first launched in 2022, successfully traveling around the moon and back to Earth. Artemis 2, which is expected to launch in 2025, will have four astronauts onboard. All that said, it’s likely Fly Me to the Moon took some true story inspiration from this particular NASA project.

What Happens To The Black Cat In Fly Me To The Moon

The black cat was considered bad luck for the mission

The black cat is first spotted by Cole at the start of Fly Me to the Moon, and becomes a character unto its own throughout. Cole is wary of the black cat, considering it bad luck. He’s traumatized by the Apollo 1 tragedy and doesn’t want anything to potentially ruin the moon landing mission. But the unaware cat turned out to be a lifesaver, crashing the set of the fake moon landing set, which confirmed the live feed was actually from Apollo 11’s real moon mission.

While everyone tried to catch the black cat, it managed to escape. Someone was already feeding it, so it probably ran off again, though it’s still near the multiple NASA facilities. Considering what it did for the moon mission, it’s possible Cole has made peace with the black cat’s continued presence at NASA and won’t bother trying to kick it off the premises. Whether the feline will eventually find a home with one of the employees or astronauts remains unclear, but it’s at least free to roam around and live as it pleases without being bothered as much as before.

What’s Next For Kelly Jones & Cole Davis

Kelly and Cole butted heads a lot throughout Fly Me to the Moon

Kelly vowed not to trick people into doing what she wants anymore, which could indicate a shift in her profession. Advertising has been her whole life, but something’s changed since meeting Cole. It’s possible Kelly could stay in advertising (she’s really good at it), but will tackle it from a different perspective moving forward, one without all the extra layers of deception. A permanent position in NASA’s public affairs department could be next.

As for Cole, he’ll probably remain NASA’s launch director for the foreseeable future. While he might never be able to go to space because of his heart, Cole will continue being dedicated to NASA. And with the truth laid bare and no big secrets between them anymore, Cole and Kelly (or Winnie) can restart their relationship while being on the same page for the first time since they met.

Why Moe Berkus Wanted To Use The Fake Moon Footage No Matter What

Moe was trying to control things behind the scenes

Woody Harrelson’s Moe Berkus is a shadowy government agent who manipulates situations and people to control them. Once Kelly’s idea for televising the moon landing was put into motion at NASA, Moe took things entirely into his hands. Not only did he want to film a backup moon landing in case something went wrong with the real thing, but he wanted to use it regardless of whether NASA was successful. Moe was going behind the president’s back as well. In his mind, airing the fake footage was a sure-fire way to win the Space Race.

Getting to the moon was no longer the most important thing — it was ensuring American ideology won over Russian ideology on the world stage. Moe wanted to make sure the US was calling the shots over Russia, and that meant making sure the moon landing was an international success story. Moe couldn’t afford for the moon mission to go wrong. With the moon landing being broadcast, the risk was too high for public embarrassment and disappointment.

Kelly’s Past & Why She Kept It A Secret From Cole Explained

Moe used Kelly’s past against her throughout the film

Kelly finally reveals the truth to Cole after feeling bad for helping to stage a fake moon landing. It’s not that she didn’t trust him, but she had become accustomed to hiding behind a facade that went unchallenged by others. Cole was probably the first person to question her deceptions and want the truth. What’s more, Kelly likely kept her past a secret from Cole because she was ashamed of her history and didn’t want to be reminded of it.

Kelly spent years scamming people for money alongside her mother, who was in prison for killing a man during a scam gone wrong. Kelly had come such a long way following that particular part of her life, but lying was the only thing she knew how to do best. It didn’t matter how truthful or sincere Cole was, Kelly kept her past secret to protect herself. Working to advertise the moon landing was just a job she thought she’d move on from after it was over, so Kelly kept the truth of her life close for fear of being hurt.

What Fly Me To The Moon Is Actually Based On (It’s Not A True Story)

There’s not much in Greg Berlanti’s film that is true

Considering the real history-making event that takes place in Fly Me to the Moon, it’s only logical to wonder what else besides the moon landing is true. But the fact is, beyond the moon landing and the inclusion of real-life astronauts like Neil Armstrong, the rest of the characters and story are not based in truth. The only thing that’s really true is that NASA’s public relations department did push for the moon landing to be televised.

But it wasn’t Kelly Jones’ idea because she didn’t exist; Cole Davis and Moe Berkus are also fictional. Fly Me to the Moon is based on both the decision to broadcast the moon landing and the long-held conspiracy theory that the moon landing was faked. The circumstances and the events involving the characters that led up to the launch are all fictionalized for the sake of the film’s story.

The Real Meaning Of Fly Me To The Moon’s Ending

Fly Me to the Moon’s ending reiterates the importance of honesty. Had the fake moon landing footage actually aired, it would have been deceiving the American people and the world. Deep down, Kelly knew it was wrong, just like she realized keeping her past a secret and running away wouldn’t do her or Cole any good. Lies only hurt people, and made it difficult to trust others as well. Manipulation tactics might’ve worked for Kelly and Moe in getting people to do the things they wanted, but it also put them in sticky situations they had to get out of.