One of the most successful artists on the planet is Jeff Koons, a well-known creator whose pieces have brought in $91.1 million. He’ll be well-known on the moon soon. At 1:05 a.m. on Thursday, a rocket built by Elon Musk’s SpaceX firm took off from Cape Canaveral at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center with 125 small stainless steel sculptures by Jeff Koons on board. In a statement from 4SPACE, the firm that worked with Koons on the project, the artwork is anticipated to land with the Intuitive Machines Nova-C Lunar Lander and be permanently deposited near the moon’s south pole on February 23. According to Forbes, technical difficulties caused the launch, which was supposed to happen earlier this week, to be delayed.More exclusive than Miami Art Week’s trendiest influencer parties is the alien art installation. The first piece of approved art to be permanently installed on the moon is this one.

The piece of art, titled “Moon Phases,” is made up of 125 one-inch sculptures that represent various lunar phases and vantage points. Every sculpture bears the name of a notable human achievementr, such as Plato, Andy Warhol, Leonardo da Vinci, Cleopatra, David Bowie, and Sojourner Truth. Only 15.5-inch versions of each small sculpture will be left on Earth. (Of course, the sculptures have NFTs of their own.)

“Moon Phases really deals with global aspiration for humankind, beyond the Earth into the universe,” Koons said in a video about the project. 4SPACE CEO Chantelle Baier approached Koons about an idea to put art on the moon. 4SPACE designed and built the enclosed art cubes that Koon’s sculpture’s will be placed in on the moon and Earth, the company’s statement said. “I established 4SPACE in 2017 to bring art, design and media into outer space,” Baier said in a statement. “4SPACE’s initiative to install Jeff Koons’ artwork on the Moon is a celebration of the creativity of art alongside science and engineering.”

One of the most well-known modern artists in the world, Koons is renowned for his portrayals of commonplace objects, pop culture references, and exorbitant price tags. The “Art Pop” album cover of Lady Gaga and the golden sculpture of Michael Jackson clutching his chimp Bubbles are both the creations of this artist.

Perhaps the most well-known aspect of Koons’ art in Miami is a viral mishap.Fortunately, the steel moon sculptures are stronger. The Pérez Family Foundation provided financial support for this story’s production, which was carried out as part of an independent journalism fellowship program in collaboration with Journalism Funding Partners. For this piece, The Miami Herald retains complete editorial control.