In  April 2022, a Dragon spacecraft launched into space, carrying Eytan Stibbe,  the second Israeli astronaut and the first to come aboard the International  Space Station. The Rakia mission was underway. Alongside scientific and  educational payloads, the astronauts brought with them a series of new  artworks designed to be exhibited in microgravity.    Art, in all its forms, has accompanied space exploration from the start,  serving as a catalyst for new possibilities and reflections on the essence of  humanity. Art created during, for and about space travel ignites people’s  imagination and helps generate ideas that are ahead of their time. Art fuels  the dream of space travel and the possibilities it holds for humanity. It is  an opportunity to contemplate the unknown and the human experience,  challenging both scientists and ourselves.     The Rakia art project aims to generate innovative forms, actions and  thoughts about the essence of humanity and the times we live in. The project is  a collaboration with the Center for Digital Art in Holon, supported by HaPais  Council for Culture and the Arts. Selected artists were invited to submit  mission-relevant proposals for artworks to be exhibited aboard the  International Space Station, in the media space, or on Earth, the latter  offering a terrestrial perspective on the voyage. The artists received  guidance and support from project curator Udi Edelman and an advisory team.  Their artworks will become an integral part of the new space age.    The artists were invited to explore many themes, including: non-human scale  and dimensions — astronomical, molecular, and virtual; the human body in  space; the psychology of space habitation; sound and communication aboard the  International Space Station; and Rakia’s scientific and educational  endeavors.