EarthSeeds - Humanity's Ultimate Purpose in the Evolution of Life

Background of the EarthSeeds Art Intervention

The EarthSeeds concept was an idea that entered my work in or around 1990 and a project was initiated under the title “SEEDS - Synergizing Earth's Evolutionary Development Spacewards” in 1995. The purpose of the project was to initiate a realistic program to develop and send artistic payloads containing organic material into space. This effort was conceived of as an art intervention in order to have some latitude in its process of development and implementation. The first realizations in space may be more symbolic than realistic. However, these efforts will serve to promote publicity for the concept as well as to build experience and to accumulate data.

Several proposals to include EarthSeed payloads on space missions have been developed. Such proposals include potential micro-payloads that could be integrated into structural elements of a spacecraft with little or no weight, cost or technical penalties. The purpose would be to gain exposure, publicity and experience.

In 1995, the first public presentation of the project was made at the 46th International Astronautical Congress in Oslo, Norway. Other exhibitions of the project have taken place in various art galleries and venues.

SEEDS Installation 46th IAF Congress, Oslo, 1995.

In September 1997, artworks with the title "Seeds for Mars" were included in an exhibition called "Life on Mars" at ESTEC in Noordwijk, Holland

EarthSeeds for Mars

A few private proposals to incorporate EarthSeed payloads into missions being planned for orbit and to the Moon have already been made to the scientists working on these missions. (EuroMoon Proposal - 1997)

 

EuroMoon Seed

We have also proposed the Millennium Seed - a large inflatable object placed in Earth orbit that would be visible to all humanity as a blinking star in the sky. Such an object would be designed to return to Earth a thousand years from now carrying with it the "EarthSeeds" of our time - in case it becomes necessary to "reseed" Earth in order to maintain life in this part of the cosmos. Wehave also suggested depositing EarthSeeds on the Moon for these same reasons.

Proposed Millennium Seed

At this stage, rather than developing specific missions or projects, our approach is to look for opportunities for spaceflight that are inexpensive, educational and have communication potential. Perhaps one day we will be able to build a solar sail EarthSeeds craft like the one pictured below.

Cosmic EarthSeed Solar Sail Spacecraft

 

This EarthSeeds website is dedicated to developing the concept through various forums as well as categorizing and integrating information related to the project.

We believe the EarthSeeds project can help focus humanity on the ecological and survival benefits of space development and exploitation. Focusing on issues of evolution and the survival of life may be a strategic way to catalyze the needed discussion concerning the Space Option concept and its promise for the future of humanity. Presenting space development in an ecological and ethical context could be be an effective strategy.

Tomatosphere seeds float in front of a window on the International Space Station.