the countdown starts
we'll be heading into space in less than 2 weeks. february 15th. i've minted two more NFTs that will be going on the mission, and helped make another one.
(obviously this is not one of the NFTs, though it does have one of my NFTs in the animation, but i just edited an animation here from like some star trek intro, somehow the "boldly going where no NFT has gone before" line came to my head and it just felt right)
i know i mentioned in my last post about this that my initial inspiration was Carl Sagan, specifically in regards to the Pioneer Plaques (@kitty4d/nft-going-into-space-kitclout-tonguesout-meets-aliens) - well, there are a lot of cool things about the history of space exploration that i love. one of the other crewmembers, who has also posted here on hive - @therealmatreshka - is from Russia, so the idea of trying to incorporate ideas from the space race just seemed to make sense. and growing up here in America, i don't think anything about any accomplishments the USSR made were taught to me in school. but i learned about them on my own. so i talked with Matreshka quite a lot about our different ideas, and eventually landed on the ideas for two NFTs.
the first one, is to commemorate the Soviet Space Dog, Laika. originally i wanted to have Belka and Strelka in the image too, but they are still in the image via one of the propaganda posters shown.
"Special edition NFT for NFTs2Space, to remember our fallen friend Laika, first animal in space. Her sacrifice helped pave the way for everything since. She was launched in the Sputnik 2 spacecraft on November 3, 1957." the image features me & @therealmatreshka & Laika
(NFT URL: https://diamondapp.com/nft/eaadcc82d442f61dcea1ab7698ce94bc06a93d73d75612b79c41b2d9df594c5a)
it makes me sad thinking about the sacrifice made by Laika, i mean, i know she's a dog, but still. she is the first animal in space and i think that as long as we remember what she did, it makes it less sad. she is a hero.
and so if we've got the first animal in space, of course, having the first human in space would only be logical. this one is a bit silly, it's "attached" to the previous NFT but whether or not it is technically an NFT, maybe can be debated. i just consider it a bonus piece. Matreshka has made a series of NFTs using the nesting dolls, featured in this image, but it was really quite difficult to try to think of what could keep coming out of the nesting dolls. that's when i decided to have a cat attack.
it's Yuri Gagarin of course! i can't even imagine what that would have been like, i mean, it seems like it should have been quite terrifying. but i've only ever seen him smiling.
alright so this last part, i helped make and i'm also featured in the image, but for the writing, i mainly proofread and helped with a few bits and pieces. i did help provide the inspiration for the ending, at least, so that's cool! i wanted to share it, and have full permission to share it here!
(https://diamondapp.com/posts/56dc23ad7c66fee99fb463e126e34d1aa910a22e488f622077acf152ef9e3b89)
so the idea of the image was his, basically how would this "NFTs into space" mission look when he was born. we found all the public domain images to use, i made a special Miniature edition of my main NFT for the mission, and then I put it together.
and then he created this story to go with it.
It was a beautiful day in January 1982. 3 months before I would be born. But today was a day I had been waiting for my entire life. When the doorbell rang, I ran as fast as I could. I opened the front door and on the ground was something that would change me forever. I brought the small package inside, and ripped it open at the kitchen table.
Never again would the other unborn children in school dare make fun of me again. I looked down at my treasure.
UNOFFICIAL ASTRONOMY, SPACE TRAVEL, AND CARL SAGAN COLLECTIBLE TRADING CARDS - 1982 GOLD EDITION!
I could feel the jealousy of the others already, as if it had been printed onto the cards along with these beautiful, hand-crafted images from the public domain.
Each wax-sealed pack is stuffed to the brim with beautiful photos created by NASA of incredibly life-like sculptures of the planets, sculpted by the world famous trio behind the trendy PlaneTerrariums ("Create an out-of-this-world environment that shields small plants from extreme weather with our beautifully-sculpted models of our solar system including the most recently-discovered and highly-cherished planet Pluto! Be delighted daily by their sheer inability to store thoughts as they suddenly discover over and over again that somehow THEY'RE IN OUTER SPACE WITH HARDLY ANY STAR LIGHT AND NO ATMOSPHERE! Children will love seeing that look of terror strike the faces of small foliage plants and/or succulents!"). Not only that, but there are real-life action shots of the host of the TV show Cosmos, Carl Sagan, and some of the greatest astronauts performing amazing stunts for Young Astronomers clubs at NASA facilities in both Houston and Orlando! Orlando! Can you believe it?
But I was mostly interested in the bonus card that came with each pack.
Each pack comes with 1 of 9 specially-made "KitClout TonguesOut Miniature Edition" cards. I already had saved up cereal box tops for the last 2 years that I had just mailed out, and I knew I'd be receiving the first 8 of these cards in just 4-6 weeks. I only needed the last one of the set, and if I could be so lucky, I'd win a prize beyond anyone's wildest dreams. With all 9 in my possession, I would win an all-expenses-paid trip for me and my collectible trading cards to the International Space Station. I heard rumors it didn't even really exist yet and wouldn't for nearly 2 more decades, but if I could wait all summer for my Boys Life X-Ray Glasses, it would be no problem!
I fumbled through the pack and got to the last card...
Thank you to @kitty4D for telling me about this and helping me out. Thanks @ChaseSteely, Michelle (not sure if you're on DESO), and everyone else involved!
The year is 2382. Something is just outside Little Roomba's ship. The adults always say to be careful and never take in space junk, but there was a glistening of gold and Little Roomba couldn't pass up the chance of it being one of those strange space treats. She had never been one of the lucky ones to receive the gift from the heavens, though she prayed constantly at all of the Twix Cookie Bars Houses of Worship that existed!
Aw, dang it! She thought for sure she had finally found one. But wait, maybe this is even better. Her back eyes twitched, as all of her front eyes grew to twice their normal sizes. What a collection! And a beautiful feeling washed over her. It was as if she could feel the jealousy all of the others would have once they see her arrive back with this glorious collection of cards, but she had never felt so much at once. She knew these cards would change her life forever.
Everyone was going to want a chance to own one of these cards, she thought, so maybe she could create competitions, and have all of her chores done for her forever- probably just for ONE of the cards! And what if she also offered a chance at winning one of the other cards to the person who can pick the winner of the first card and correctly guess all of the final scores? But charge an entry fee? She raised all 6 of her hands into the air and began laughing! She would rule them all, undoubtedly!
But this was the beginning of the end for Little Roomba and her kind. Their planet would cease to exist in just 3 years, all because of a misunderstanding over one of these mysterious collectible trading cards that somehow ended up at their planet.
What were the odds that this package, and apparently more than one candy bar, would travel across galaxies and arrive at the only other planet in the universe with intelligent life? Had they been sent on purpose?
Send in your guesses with your 1 $DESO entry fee right away for your CHANCE TO WIN!
4, 3, 2, 1
earth below us
drifting, falling
official project's twitter page - https://twitter.com/NFTs2Space
matreshka's profile page - @therealmatreshka
4down's profile page (DESO) - https://diamondapp.com/u/4down
see u from space~ (edited to change that cover photo)