Friday will mark a major milestone for space exploration, and NASA plans to celebrate accordingly.

Nearly 90,000 messages will be beamed to Mars to honor the 50-year anniversary of the Mariner 4 spacecraft's launch– the first ship to complete a fly-by of another planet– according to NBC News. Mariner 4 launched on Nov. 28, 1964, and sent back the first up-close images of the Red Planet seven months later, the report added.

"Beam Me to Mars" will be carried out by the space-funding company Uwingu, using radio telescopes to send the messages on their 249-million-mile journey, Space.com says. The messages that will be sent to Mars cost anywhere from $4.95 for just a name to $99 for a long message and an image, Space.com also reported.

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Among the celebrities who joined in on "Beam Me to Mars" were actors Seth Green, George Takei and Ryan Merriman, as well as astronaut Chris Hadfield, author Homer Hickam (from "October Sky" fame) and Bill Nye, the "Science Guy," Uwingu told Space.com.

Uwingu authenticated each person's message by sending downloadable certificates honoring their participation in the special event, according to their website.

The proceeds from "Beam Me to Mars" will help fund space research, education and exploration, the group said. If you'd like to include a message for Mars, Uwingu will accept submissions until Nov. 5.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Mars Exploration

As part of its investigation of 'Victoria Crater,' Opportunity examined a promontory called 'Cape Verde' from the vantage point of 'Cape St. Mary,' the next promontory clockwise around the crater's deeply scalloped rim. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell)