Fallen Astronaut

thingiverse

The Fallen Astronaut is an 8 cm-tall aluminum sculpture of a space-suited astronaut situated on the moon. Belgian artist Paul Van Hoeydonck created this work after meeting astronaut David Scott, who requested him to craft a small statue that would serve as a poignant reminder of the astronauts who lost their lives in space exploration. Several constraints had to be met by the statue: it needed to be lightweight yet robust, constructed from a material capable of withstanding the extreme conditions on the moon, and devoid of any sexual or ethnic characteristics. In line with Scott's desire to prevent the commercialization of the universe, Van Hoeydonck's name was intentionally kept out of the public eye. The Fallen Astronaut stands as a singular piece of art placed on the lunar surface.