As We shall return

This piece, designed in collaboration with Fiske Planetarium, features a 14 x 24-foot mural depicting a stylized yet scientifically accurate scene of an Apollo 17 astronaut (Gene Cernan) walking across the surface of the Moon. The mural is accompanied by an inset 2 x 4 x 7-foot interactive sculpture, featuring animated lights and fiber optics that represent the base of a rocket ship. These works set the scene for the display of a genuine spacesuit from the Apollo 14 mission and an in-flight engineering jacket and hardhat generously lent to the Fiske Planetarium by NASA. The Earth, the Milky Way, and each star are accurate in their location and phase to the final day of the Apollo 17 mission on December 14th, 1974. The namesake comes from Cernan’s final words as he boarded the ladder for departure and are currently the last words spoken by a human standing on the lunar surface. This installation aims to honor the historical exploration of the Moon while simultaneously celebrating the lunar exploration, of our Moon and the countless other planetary satellites, that is still to come.

“As We Shall Return” is on permanent display at the Fiske Planetarium in Boulder, Colorado. | Completed in October 2023