A historic launch took place at the Baikonur Cosmodrome as children’s artwork from Zambia and 13 other countries was sent into space on the surface of the Russian Soyuz-2.1a rocket.
The mission, carried out by the UNITY Foundation with Roscosmos and the Progress Rocket and Space Center, became the world’s first launch of a rocket covered in drawings made by young cancer patients.
The Russian Art Rocket Project united children from 14 countries — including Zambia, the US, Bolivia, Serbia, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Armenia, France, Pakistan, Iran, Switzerland, and the UK — whose artwork formed a massive collage symbolizing unity, resilience, and hope.
Africa’s first young space ambassadors
The initiative reached Africa in 2022 through UNITY’s collaboration with the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka. Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud’-Sverchkov worked with young patients in Zambia, collecting drawings that later appeared on the rocket — making Zambian children the first African ambassadors of the project.
A Global Mission of Hope
More than 4,000 children contributed artwork over nine years. On November 27, their drawings lifted off from Earth, transformed into a collage applied to the rocket by specialists at the Progress Rocket and Space Center.
UNITY President Alena Kuzmenko said: “The Art Rocket Project is about the power of human dreams. When the rocket carried the children’s drawings into the sky, part of their fear went with it. What came instead was belief — in life, in the future, and in the strength of human unity.”
International support
The initiative gathered broad international backing — from the Bolivian and Brazilian space agencies, MoonDAO, the Space for Art Foundation, hospitals, embassies, and NGOs across continents. It was also endorsed by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić.
A Transformative Journey
Fifty children from Russian oncology centers, together with their parents and doctors, came to Baikonur to witness the rollout and launch. Their program included visits to historical space
sites, meetings with cosmonauts, workshops, and mural painting with artists Nikita Romanov (Russia) and Pas Schaffer (Brazil).
Launch Day
On November 27, mission commander Sergey Kud’-Sverchkov greeted the children with UNITY’s symbolic heart gesture — a promise to “deliver their dreams to the Universe.”
As the rocket lifted off, carrying thousands of drawings, children and parents watched in awe.
For many families around the world, the launch became a defining moment of hope and belonging.
Sergey Kud’-Sverchkov wrote on his social media: “Our rocket became a symbol of optimism, perseverance, and kindness. Each drawing carries a story of illness, courage, and hope. It is an honor to take these dreams with me into space.”
Why the art rocket matters
The project crowns UNITY’s Space Art Therapy Program, aimed at supporting young cancer patients by reducing stress, strengthening emotional resilience, and encouraging creativity. The initiative promotes cooperation across medicine, art, education, and space exploration, and aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
From 2022 to 2025, the Art Rocket Project generated over 600 media publications worldwide. During the Baikonur program alone, more than 400 articles and TV stories were released, many reaching millions.
A message for the world
Humanitarian initiatives are especially important for the space community. NGOs realising humanitarian projects have to be equal players in the space industry — as important as government agencies, businesses, research institutions, and private companies. They are the ones that bring humanity, compassion, and mutual support into space exploration. Only by relying on these values can humanity explore and develop space in a dignified and peaceful way.
With the launch of the Art Rocket, children from across continents sent a shared message into the sky: every life has value, every dream matters, and humanity is strongest when it stands together. This mission became not only a technological achievement but a global humanitarian symbol of unity and hope. And it always reminds us, according to the UNITY’s motto, that we are not alone in the Universe.
