From Earth’s most extraordinary waters to the edge of deep space.
1 ml · 221 waters · 53 countries · 6 continents
A living artwork. A real mission. A message from Earth — carried to the stars.
What is this?
the drop beyond is the first curated water artwork in outer space.
One millilitre. 221 natural waters from 53 countries across all six continents — mineral springs, glacial ice, deep-ocean water, fog collectors, artesian wells — compressed into a single sealed ampoule and destined for an asteroid 25 million kilometres from Earth.
This is not a simulation. Not a concept. Not a render. The drop will leave Earth.
The drop beyond is also the centrepiece chapter of WE ARE WATER — The Drop Beyond, a book by Pat Eckert currently in its final stages of completion. The mission and the manuscript are inseparable — one is the story, the other is its proof.
The Mission — Understanding the Hierarchy
One must understand the hierarchy of this launch to understand our place within it.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 on the launchpad is not waiting for us. It is not even waiting for AstroForge.
The actual client is Intuitive Machines. Their lunar lander IM-3 — named Trinity — is headed to Reiner Gamma, a magnetic anomaly on the Moon’s western face. That is the reason this rocket lifts off at all. When the lander is ready, the mission launches — regardless of who else is aboard.
AstroForge with their spacecraft DEEPSPACE-2 is the first hitchhiker. Their target: near-Earth asteroid 2022 OB5, a metallic M-type body approximately 25 million kilometres from Earth. Unlike Odin, their previous mission, DEEPSPACE-2 is designed not merely to fly by — but to dock with the asteroid and analyse its surface directly. They are searching for platinum-group metals. Metal that is scarce on Earth but forms entire mountains in space.
And us? We are the hitchhiker’s hitchhiker. While all eyes point toward the Moon or the glinting platinum in the deep, one millilitre of water travels along — quietly, precisely composed, sealed in a tamper-evident ampoule. No mining rights. No landing. No return on investment. Just a drop, proving that water remembers. And water comes home.
A drop that does not signify farewell. But homecoming. We return to where we came from.
Launch: second half of 2026, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Mission subject to progress of IM-3 and DEEPSPACE-2 integration.
This mission builds on Odin — AstroForge’s second spacecraft, which launched in February 2025 as part of IM-2. Following a successful launch, communication could not be established. In space exploration, silence is also an answer. Odin paved the way for DEEPSPACE-2 — and DEEPSPACE-2 carries that knowledge forward.
The Water
The cuvée was curated by Pat Eckert, certified water sommelier and founder of Fine Liquids and the AQAPOLIS archive — the world’s largest private water collection, comprising over 1,500 waters from more than 80 countries.
The selection spans six source typologies:
- Natural Mineral & Spring Waters
- Artesian & Ground Waters
- Glacier & Iceberg Waters
- Deep-Ocean Waters
- Mist, Fog & Cloud Waters
Each source was chosen for its geological signature, geographic breadth, provenance, and documentability. The full recipe and lab sheet will be published after final verification. 1 Flight Unit + Ground Twins are prepared.
Key Facts
- 221 waters
- 53 countries
- 6 continents
- 1 ml cuvée — journey to space (launch subject to mission progress)
- Full water selection to be published post-launch.
It will be done
Visionary & Historically
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 misson, DEEPSPACE-2, 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 the second half of 2026.
The craft will land on Asteroid 2022 OB5, 25 million kilometres (≈ 0.17 AU) from Earth — roughly 416 times as far as the Moon. If all goes to plan, DEEPSPACE-2 will become the first privately built spacecraft to land on a body outside the Earth–Moon system. The DEEPSPACE-2 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. 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 digitised and placed on a 5D Memory Crystal, where it will last for billions of years. The archive will be protected inside 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.
The Book
the drop beyond is also the culminating chapter of WE ARE WATER — The Drop Beyond, a book by Pat Eckert currently in its final stages before publication. It explores water as a planetary and cosmic force — from quantum physics to mythology, from the deepest ocean trenches to the edge of deep space.
“This book is also part of a larger project. The Drop Beyond: a drop curated from 221 waters from all continents, to be sent into space aboard an AstroForge mission in 2026. A drop that does not signify farewell. But homecoming. We return to where we came from.”
Publication details to be announced. Press inquiries welcome.
Go to Preview page.
About Pat Eckert
Pat Eckert is a certified water sommelier, founder of Fine Liquids and curator of the AQAPOLIS archive — the world’s largest private water collection with over 1,500 waters from more than 80 countries. He has served as juror at international competitions including the Fine Water Summit, Bled Water Forum, foodbev, the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting, and has curated some of the rarest waters ever bottled. The Drop Beyond is the most ambitious project of his career.
fine-liquids.com · Instagram · YouTube
Partners & Credits
Partner |
Role |
|---|---|
| AstroForge (USA) | Mission & spaceflight partner |
| Samuel Stubblefield Studio | Artistic & conceptual lead |
| Ben Haldeman (California) | Payload scientist |
| Colors of Water Academy / Pat Eckert | Water curation & provenance (AQAPOLIS) |
| Intuitive Machines — IM-3 | Rideshare operator |
| LifeShip | Payload management |
| Artists for Humanity | STEAM partner |
| Richelle Ellis | Archive pyramid design |
Timeline
Period |
Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2018–2023 | Research & collecting — Colors of Water, artist dialogues |
| 2024 | Concept alignment, cuvée trials, sealing protocol |
| 2025 | Partnership: Pat Eckert & Samuel Stubblefield |
| 2025 | Water selection, cuvée production, flight sample preparation |
| Feb 2025 | Odin (IM-2) launches — paves the way for DEEPSPACE-2 |
| H2 2026 | DEEPSPACE-2 launch window — SpaceX Falcon 9 / IM-3 rideshare |
| 2026+ | Exhibitions, education, publication, museum placement |
| 2027 | Lunar mission planning — a drop of water to the Moon |
Press Kit
Press contact & embargo details available on request. Assets include one-pager, photography/renders, logos, brand assets, and a fact sheet.
Press contact: pat@fine-liquids.com
FAQ
Is the droplet itself flying?
Yes. The drop beyond includes a 1 ml flight cuvée in a sealed, tamper-evident ampoule. Ground twins are preserved for exhibitions and research.
What is DEEPSPACE-2?
DEEPSPACE-2 is AstroForge’s next mission — a 200 kg spacecraft designed to dock with asteroid 2022 OB5. It launches as a secondary payload on Intuitive Machines’ IM-3 lunar mission, currently scheduled for the second half of 2026.
Is this safe?
Yes — strict mass, safety, and materials constraints apply; full partner review completed.
What happens post-flight?
Public programmes, exhibitions, limited archival prints and data-art derived from mission optics and telemetry.
What is the book?
WE ARE WATER — The Drop Beyond is a book by Pat Eckert currently in its final stages before publication. It tells the full story of this mission and of water as a planetary and cosmic force.
Is my water included?
The drop beyond is a cuvée from 221 different sources. Feel free to contact Pat directly.
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 in line with IM-3 and DEEPSPACE-2 mission progress. The artwork is non-operational and non-interfering. All sourcing follows ethical, minimal-impact protocols.