--- title: "Celebrity NASA Astronaut Sells NFTs to Raise Money for Ukraine" description: "Astronaut Scott Kelly is raising money for Ukrainian relief by selling NFTs that actually aren't ugly." date: "2022-04-13" modified: "2022-04-13" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/scott-kelly-nfts-ukraine" categories: - "Blockchain" - "Future Society" - "NASA" - "NFTs" - "Space" tags: - "nfts" - "Scott Kelly" - "the digest" - "ukraine" --- # Celebrity NASA Astronaut Sells NFTs to Raise Money for Ukraine ![Astronaut Scott Kelly is raising money for Ukrainian relief by selling NFTs that actually aren't ugly.]() *\Image: Scott Kelly/Orange Comet\* ## NFTs in Space Space, geopolitics**,** and the cryptosphere keep colliding. As [*Space.com* reports](), famed NASA astronaut Scott Kelly's first-ever [non-fungible token]() (NFT) drop, which features artwork commemorating his record-setting 340 consecutive day run aboard the International Space Station, will be sold to raise money for Ukrainian relief charities. Kelly's NFT collection, titled "[Dreams Out of This World]()" and [released exclusively on the OpenSea NFT marketplace](), will, as the astronaut mused to *Space.com*, hopefully help others reach for the stars even as they focus on earthbound issues. ## Space Inspo Kelly waxed inspirational in an interview with *Space.com.* "My story is not the typical astronaut story," he told the site. "I was a bad student growing up — didn't do well in school, kind of a daydreamer." After reading Tom Wolfe's "The Right Stuff," a 1979 nonfiction book about the Project Mercury test pilots who became guinea pigs for the burgeoning spaceflight industry in the late 50s and early 60s, Kelly was shaken. "I really, really believe in this idea that inspiration, done in the right way for the right person at the right time, can have extraordinary results," he said of his experience after reading the seminal nonfiction work, which [inspired many other astronauts]() as well. ## Crypto Futures Kelly said that he believes "the metaverse and crypto\[currency\] and blockchain will be a big part of our future," and as he reimagines the Earth below in the "Dreams" art, so too does he reimagine a world beyond the current geopolitical conflict as Russia invades Ukraine. In [a tweet last month](), Kelly explained that the Ukraine war is personal to him because his "nephew and niece have roots in Ukraine." "Seeing their family's homeland under attack has been painful," the astronaut continued. "Yet despite despair, \[his nephew\] Isaac is eager to launch a fundraiser to help families in Ukraine." In its first day alone — which coincided with the International Day of Human Spaceflight commemorating USSR Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin's first ever trip to space — Kelly's NFT drop raised a whopping $500,000 for The Global Empowerment Mission's Ukraine relief efforts. Crypto and NFTs may generally be annoying, but in the case of Ukraine — [one of the top crypto-using countries in the world]() — they can make a big difference. Better this than an overpriced AI-generated illustration of an ape, right? **READ MORE:** Former astronaut Scott Kelly launches 1st NFT, raises $500,000 to support Ukraine \[*Space.com*\] **More on Ukraine:** *[Ukraine Is 3D Scanning Its Precious Artifacts Before Russia Destroys Them]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()