Assam space scientist’s artwork flies with NASA Mission to Moon

Guwahati, Jan 20: 'Brahmaputra by Sunrise', an acrylic artwork on card by Priyanka Rajkakati, a space scientist and artist hailing from Assam, is flying proudly on board Firefly Blue Ghost Lander, which was launched on Wednesday to the Moon via a NASA CLPS mission. The artwork features symbolically in digital format as art of the LunARC Gallery, a Lifeship payload. Brahmaputra by Sunrise is a unique artwork in that it has first been showcased on each of the seven continents before making its way to outer space, onto the collective 8th continent, the Moon.

The artwork is part of a series of artworks inspired by the RiVeins project, being curated at Atelier Arth.

The young space scientist was recently selected to submit her artwork to be part of an international Moon Gallery project that aims to send art to the moon via a Lunar Lander Mission. Over 30,000 art submissions were collected from 40 countries, showcasing the diverse creativity of humanity.

This initiative is a thought experiment towards building a community-based flood resilience system in Assam, focused on rural communities settled along the mighty Brahmaputra River, to be eventually tested in other parts of the world affected by climate-change-driven extreme flooding. Committed to bridging the digital divide, LunARC has collaborated with nonprofit organisations focused on education, poverty alleviation, refugee assistance, Indigenous rights, and more, ensuring that no one was left behind in the journey to the stars.

With the support and generosity of volunteers and corporate, foundation, and non-profit partners, LunARC surmounted financial barriers and logistical challenges to make this vision a reality.

By-

Staff Reporter