Record-setting former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly has memorialized his time in space via art.
Kelly, who spent 340 consecutive days aboard the International Space Station in 2015 and 2016, just launched his first-ever NFT, an art project called « Dreams Out of This World. » He hopes the offering inspires people to reach for the stars, as an iconic book inspired him long ago.
« My story is not the typical astronaut story. I was a bad student growing up — didn’t do well in school, kind of a daydreamer, » Kelly told Space.com.
« I found inspiration in a book, which is Tom Wolfe’s ‘The Right Stuff,' » he added. « So I really, really believe in this idea that inspiration, done in the right way for the right person at the right time, can have extraordinary results. »
NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are pieces of data, stored in a digital ledger called a blockchain, that represent unique assets. NFTs are part of the emerging digital world known as the metaverse, and Kelly hopes « Dreams Out of This World » helps introduce people to this somewhat confusing new realm.
« I think the metaverse and crypto[currency] and blockchain will be a big part of our future, » he said. « So it seemed like the right time for me to get involved. »
The auction was scheduled to continue for three days, on the NFT marketplace OpenSea. But the entire collection sold out in just a few hours, raising more than $500,000
« I’m proud to announce that my NFT collection is officially sold out on opensea
Thank you to everyone who supported this project! In the midst of this war, it’s amazing that we can come together through art to aid the people of Ukraine. Over $500,000.00 raised today! » Kelly tweeted today.