School of Art and Design Professor Anna Ursyn's computer-generated nano-art will be included in a time capsule aboard a lunar rover scheduled to be delivered to the moon in 2017.

The Moon Arts rover is scheduled to be part of the payload on a SpaceX rocket that will be launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in late-2017.

According to project managers, the Space Ark isn't intended to show aliens what life on Earth is like, but rather for future generations of Earth's inhabitants, since the time capsule could last for millions of years given the lack of atmosphere on the moon.

The current-day examples representing the arts and humanities will be contained on two engraved sapphire disks that make-up the Moon Ark, a time capsule the size of a soda can being developed by teams of Carnegie Mellon scientists and engineers who are also building the lunar rover.

Selected art from the project will be incorporated into a duplicate Moon Ark, which is expected to be included in a Moon Arts exhibition in various cities in the future. In addition, all or part of the work may be included on websites and other electronic media in connection with the Moon Arts Project and related exhibitions.

Ursyn, who heads the School of Art and Design's Computer Graphics program, is working with school Director Andrew Liccardo and other faculty on developing a new Digital Media program.