Here is some history on a bit of artwork and a plaque dedicated to the fallen astronauts was left on the moon by the crew of Apollo 15. This is the first I’ve ever heard of this and I’ve read quite a bit about the history of the space program.
The only piece of art on the moon (depending, we suppose, on one’s definition of art) is a 3″-tall aluminum sculpture titled “Fallen Astronaut.” It was created by Belgian artist Paul Van Hoeydonck and installed by Apollo 15 astronaut David Scott, along with a plaque bearing the names of the 14 astronauts and cosmonauts who died in the service of space exploration.
Apparently the crew members and the artist agreed that there should be no commercial gain made by this action. However…
…The 950 replicas of the "Fallen Astronaut" figurine signed by the sculptor have been advertised for sale by the Waddell Gallery of New York at a price of $750 apiece
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this Van Hoeydonck is a jerk and a putz. It is somewhat fitting that most Internet search results for this guys name also mention the replicas. I’d call that karma.
[via neat-o-rama]
The Only Art on the Moon
Articles Carried on Manned Space Flights
For a list of the names on the plaque, check out the Wikipedia entry on ‘Fallen Astronaut‘