A group of three artists (photographer Neil DaCosta, art director Sara Philipps and re-touch artist Saskia Thomson) got together and created Astronaut Suicides.  The project site offers only the following quote as explanation for the creation of this pristine set of darkly comic photographs.

I understand that some believe that we should return to the surface of the moon but I have to say this bluntly, we have been there before.

President Barack Obama
April 15th 2010

It’s a sad fact that the space shuttle program has closed.  Walking on the Moon = a once in a lifetime experience.  It’s like the first bite of lobster mac-n-cheese or meeting David Bowie, for us earth people.  But the President is right – once you’ve been there, you’ve done it.  Some may chase the surge, and that’s a dangerous road.  It can land you right where the poor bodies inside those suits found their final moments.

I know exactly what it’s like on the moon: I visited the NASA museum somewhere near Tennessee when I was Eleven.  Or maybe Five.  I ate vacuum sealed dried strawberries, pizza and ice-cream, and walked through their moon-walk simulator.  I’ve touched moon rocks.  The truth is, if you haven’t been there, you don’t know what you’re missing.

Don’t worry.  Those less advanced in life, you can rest assured there could be gravity-free days ahead of you yet: Richard Branson has boldly taken over space travel in the interim, while Obama thinks about what he’s done.  Maybe the states should think long and hard about who they want to run their country!