British artist Sacha Jafri, based in Dubai, has officially sent the first artwork to the Moon. Titled ‘We Rise Together with the Light of the Moon,’ Jafri’s artwork was launched as part of Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One aboard the United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur rocket from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Monday.
According to a Khaleej Times report, Jafri created this unique piece on an aerospace-grade aluminium gold plate, featuring a laser-engraved design of a man and woman encircled by 88 hearts of varying sizes. The artwork symbolizes a reconnected humanity, depicting two figures holding hands, intertwined by love and empathy. “My artwork on the Moon is a beacon of hope, shining light from the darkness, symbolizing our planet’s fragility and the need for humanity to unite,” Jafri expressed.
The artist, renowned for creating ‘The Journey of Humanity’ – the world’s largest art canvas sold for Dh227.75 million in Dubai, seeks to inspire a reconnected humanity through his lunar artwork.
However, the mission faced a setback. The Peregrine lunar lander, part of NASA’s Artemis program and the first U.S. lunar lander in decades, suffered a significant propellant leak, eliminating the possibility of a soft landing on the Moon. Despite this, Astrobotic, the Pittsburgh-based firm behind the mission, plans to utilize the lander as an orbiting spacecraft while considering its new mission.
Jafri’s choice of materials for his artwork was deliberate, using a moon-resilient aluminum gold plate to endure the harsh lunar conditions, with temperatures ranging from 120° Celsius to -130°C. This artwork, announced in February 2022 and rigorously tested over two years by British company Spacebit, is intended to last eternally on the Moon.