Boeing invites children to create art to be carried aboard the Starliner spacecraft

From Texas Public Radio:

As children gaze to the night sky, there’s now a program that’s encouraging them to send their art … literally out of this world … in a spacecraft.

The U.S. space program doesn’t have the media focus that the original space program had in the 1960s but NASA is quietly working to return to the moon.

Boeing’s Lauren Seabrook said the company wants kids to be ready for that new era, and it wants them thinking without limits.

“The thing about space is it has this really amazing ability to unite and inspire people, and kids globally,” she said.

With that in mind, Boeing is soliciting work from young artists three to 18 years of age, and to get that art sent on the next launch.

“This is a really cool opportunity for kids all over the world to get a chance to send their artwork inspired by space, and to have that artwork flown into space, and to get a chance to receive a certificate that shows that their artwork is actually space flown on the Starliner‘s third flight,” Seabrook said.

The Starliner has a very specific mission each time it launches. “[It’s goal] is to safely carry crew and cargo to and from the International Space Station,” she said.

The theme for the artwork is “Breaking Boundaries in Space.”

“We’re encouraging students to consider the diverse historical figures who have broken boundaries in space and who have become a first, and have just blazed the trails for those who came after them,” she said.

Every piece of digitized art submitted will be stored on a hard drive and taken on the next flight, which should blast off in January.

“Each student who submits artwork will also receive a certificate of flight back to them,” she said. “And that will be signed by Chris Ferguson. He is a Boeing astronaut and three time space shuttle veteran.”

Artists should submit their work as jpgs to artshowcase.spacefoundation.org by Dec. 16.

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