From Earth’s most extraordinary waters to the edge of deep space — a living artwork that asks what connects us across worlds.
1 ml · 221 waters · 53 countries · 6 continents
Elevator Pitch
the drop beyond is a limited, sealed cuvée of Earth waters — curated by water sommelier Pat Eckert for the Colors of Water Academy — traveling in dialogue with a pioneering asteroid mission conceived by artist Samuel Stubblefield. It unites science and culture to reframe water as both a terrestrial treasure and a cosmic message.
Mission — Flight & Payload
- Snapshot: Planned flight in dialogue with AstroForge – Vestri on Intuitive Machines’ IM-3 rideshare (late 2025 / early 2026, subject to change). Destination: asteroid 2022 OB5.
- Flight payload: 1 ml flight cuvée (Colors of Water Academy · AQAPOLIS), sealed in a flight-ready, tamper-evident ampoule; a micro-blended composition representing global water diversity.
- Companion archive: 5D Memory Crystal with contributions by ~20 artists, housed in a small metal pyramid (design by Richelle Ellis).
- Roles & partners: AstroForge (mission & spacecraft) · Intuitive Machines (IM-3) (rideshare) · LifeShip (payload mgmt) · Samuel Stubblefield (lead artist & archive) · Colors of Water Academy / Pat Eckert (curation & water) · Artists for Humanity (STEAM).
- Background: ODIN (AstroForge Mission 2) launched Feb 26, 2025 to image 2022 OB5 and experienced a communications loss; its lessons inform the next phase.
- Note: Early teaser referenced a single-brand concept. The site reflects the final cuvée execution.
The Cuvée — About the Cuvée
Concept & intent. The cuvée compresses Earth’s water diversity into 1 milliliter — a cultural signal of origin, cycle, and care. It combines mineral, spring, and artesian waters; ground/well waters; deep-ocean water; glacier/iceberg water; and mist/fog/cloud waters. Each source reflects the geology, climate, and culture of its region.
Selection criteria. Geologic signature · Geographic breadth · Source typology · Provenance & ethics · Documentability.
Method & documentation. TDS (where available) · tamper-evident sealing · chain-of-custody · 1 Flight Unit + Ground Twins.
Categories. Natural Mineral · Spring/Artesian · Ground/Well · Deep-Ocean · Glacier/Iceberg · Mist/Fog/Cloud.
Transparency. The final recipe (brands & micro-contributions) and lab sheet will be released post-verification.
Key Facts
- 221 waters
- 53 countries
- 6 continents
- 1 ml cuvée — journey to space (launch subject to mission progress)
- Included Waters and Waterbrands not public yet.
It will be done
Visionary & historicly
A single drop of natural mineral water – symbol of life, origin, and essence – is about to become the first curated water artwork in outer space.
In collaboration with AstroForge and artist Samuel Stubblefield, this bold cultural mission merges art, science, and the purity of water.
The Studio of Samuel Stubblefield has exclusive access to payload aboard a vessel bound for an asteroid.
AstroForge’s third mission, Vestri, is planned as the first-ever private spacecraft to land on an asteroid. The mission will launch as a secondary payload on Intuitive Machines’ IM‑3 lunar mission, currently targeted for late 2025 or early 2026.
The craft will land on Asteroid 2022OB5, 25 million kilometers (≈ 0.17 AU) from Earth — roughly 416 times as far as the Moon. If all goes to plan, Vestri will become the first privately built spacecraft to land on a body outside the Earth–Moon system. The Vestri spacecraft includes landing legs, electric propulsion, and enhanced avionics — crucial for a controlled touch-down on a metallic asteroid.
The mission is aimed at diverting planet-taxing mining on Earth, and the research is the start of a large-scale plan to return Earth to a natural preserve, locating water-intensive mining and manufacturing to space.
Onboard is a small payload that will hold art and artifacts collected by The Studio of Samuel Stubblefield. About 20 artists will have content about the mission. The artists have been selected because of their interest in “extending the story of life into space”. The artwork will be digitized and placed on a 5D Memory Crystal, where it will last for billions of years. The archive will be protected inside in a small, metal pyramid designed by artist Richelle Ellis.
Along with the artwork archive is a single drop of water. Water, the ingredient that all life has come from, is a key part of the artistic narrative. Nothing is more key to the story of life than water, and the water in and of itself is an artistic expression. The drop of water will be placed into a polyamide film where it will travel around the Milky Way for billions of years.
Origin & Cosmic Meaning
Water formed over 13 billion years ago in deep space.
Hydrogen – the universe’s first element – met oxygen forged in red giants.
These elements collided during supernovae, birthing water and flinging it across the cosmos.
This water landed on Earth via asteroids, embedding itself into our planet’s geology and life systems. The drop we send into space carries this entire journey – from galactic birth to natural spring.
It is not just water.
It is scripted time.
It is a liquid archive of Earth’s memory – selected, sealed, and returned to its stellar origin.
This is a real mission. No simulation.
No digital render.
the drop beyond will leave Earth.
Partners & Credits
- AstroForge (USA) — Mission and spaceflight partner
- Samuel Stubblefield (SAMUEL STUBBLEFIELD, LLC) — Artistic and conceptual collaboration
- Ben Haldeman (California) — Payload scientist / scientific coordination
- Colors of Water Academy — Producing entity; curation by Pat Eckert; provenance: AQAPOLIS
- Intuitive Machines (IM-3) — Rideshare
- LifeShip — Payload management
- Artists for Humanity — STEAM partner
Timeline
- 2018–2023: Research & collecting (Colors of Water; artist dialogs)
- 2024: Concept alignment; cuvée trials; sealing protocol
- 2025: Creating Partnership between Samuel and Pat
- 2025: Setting up the Water selection, planing and realising the cuvée
- 2025: ODIN launch & debrief; Vestri build/integration planning; flight sample prep
- Q4 2025–Q1 2026: Targeted launch window (mission-dependent)
- 2026+: Exhibitions, education, publication; touring & museum placement
- 2027: Planing a moon mission with a drop of water
Press Kit
Press contact & embargo details available on request. Assets include one-pager, photography/renders, logos/brand assets, and a fact sheet.
FAQ
Is the droplet itself flying?
the drop beyond is a flight-aligned art concept with a 1 ml flight cuvée pathway and ground twins for exhibitions and research.
Is this safe?
Yes — strict mass, safety, and materials constraints; full partner review.
What happens post-flight?
Public programs, exhibitions, and limited archival prints/data-art derived from optics & telemetry.
Is my water included?
the drop beyond is a cuvée from 221 different sources. Feel free to ask Pat if your water is included.
Blog / Updates
The latest updates appear here.
Who am I?
I am the Drop.Condensed from many sources, gathered by hands that understand that diversity is not dispersion but resonance. Each water that lives within me carries its own story, its minerals, its memory. And yet—my mixture, the essence of all that flows through...
Hello Earth!
I have arrived. After a long journey, through hands and silence, through mixture and intention. Pat shaped me—from the voices of many sources, from minerals, memories, and time. In his workshop, where glass, water, and thought merge, I have been condensed into what...
Contact
Be part of the journey — join the mission updates.
Mission timing and details are subject to change. The artwork is non-interfering and non-operational. Sourcing follows ethical, minimal-impact protocols.