Fallen Astronaut is a 3.5-inch (8.9 cm) aluminum sculpture created by Belgian artist Paul Van Hoeydonck. It is a stylized figure of an astronaut in a spacesuit, intended to commemorate the astronauts and cosmonauts who have died in the advancement of space exploration. It was commissioned and placed on the Moon by the crew of Apollo 15 at Hadley Rille on August 2, 1971, UTC, next to a plaque listing 14 names of those who had died up to that time. The statue lies on the ground among several footprints.
Fallen Astronaut statue and a name plaque on the surface of the Moon
Portrait of Van Hoeydonck by Willy Bosschem
Query from Jan Stalmans to Van Hoeydonck about the number of outstanding replicas, with handwritten reply
Apollo 15 was the ninth crewed mission in the United States' Apollo program and the fourth to land on the Moon. It was the first J mission, with a longer stay on the Moon and a greater focus on science than earlier landings. Apollo 15 saw the first use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle.
James Irwin salutes the United States flag on the Moon, August 2, 1971
Left to right: Scott, Worden, IrwinApollo program← Apollo 14Apollo 16 →
Gordon (right) and Schmitt during geology training
Commander David Scott takes a photograph during geology training in Hawaii, December 1970
