Fallen Astronaut

The Fallen Astronaut is an 8 cm-sized aluminum statue of an astronaut in a spacesuit placed on the moon. The statue was created by Belgian artist Paul Van Hoeydonck after meeting astronaut David Scott. He called on Van Hoeydonck to create a small statue that would remind those astronauts who lost their lives in space exploration. There were several limitations for the statue, it had to be light and solid, made of material that could withstand the extreme conditions on the moon, and had no sexual or ethnic features. In connection with Scott's wish to prevent the commercialization of the universe, Van Hoeydonck's name should not have been published. The Fallen Astronaut is probably the only piece of art placed on the Moon's surface.