We think of the Moon as a part of our household, not just a neighbor. We can credit our entire existence to the Moon. Ancient lunar tides and the churning of Earth's oceans stirred the primordial elements, kick-starting our evolutionary journey. And now that Moon-water has been found—-ice, rather—-the possibilities for life stretching into the stars are real.
We are New Deal Futurists, and our vision of national service is making space accessible to humanity by way of fresh food. Let’s build out this base, the farm, and kitchen, and inspire people all over the world for generations. We will cultivate an appreciation for the role plants play in human exploration. This little Moon farm will be how space-working people ground themselves, reconnect with the living, and the pleasures of fresh food and community.
Join OUR little space program
We’re searching for a new generation of space explorers, ready to do the real work of preparing the way for life beyond Earth. Moon Corps is an international civilian service corps bringing together the best and brightest minds from across our home planet. We’re calling on astro-botanists, astro-engineers, astro-chefs, and more to help make space accessible for the next generation of human explorers.
Other worldly sights and the eerie silence herald a human adventure into space. Unfathomed lands of the future where people risk their wildest dreams. The Moon is ageless and engulfing. A desert and an oasis. We are here to learn, to understand our Earth and its place in the solar system. Our service, the Moon Corps, is an outpost of food and water right where you need one—250,000 miles from home. Comforts like hot showers, a dining lounge, a kitchen give an astronaut a chance to feel human again. A vegetable farm, poultry run and fish pond offer the means to sustain ourselves off-world for months at a time.
Our Process is: Water + Farm + Kitchen = Pizza
There’s ice that needs to be mined, a farm that needs to be tended, and a delicious dinner to make… Doing ordinary work in an extraordinary place is just part of our everyday routine. Our international program believes that the way we go matters: humans are our focus, and they can’t go far without water, fresh food and the ability to sit down with community. Moon Corps aims to bring brave space workers together and keep them nourished, body and soul. You can be part of that… Join the Moon Corps!
Learn about the imaginative and optimistic world of Moon Corps in this original illustrated zine. This is the Souvenir Visitor’s Guide to the Moon Corps pavilion at the upcoming 2044 World’s Fair in Portland, Oregon. You’ll use this guide as you visit the exhibit to understand the areas of the Moon base—ice mining, construction of grow habitats for farming, kitchen for preparing fresh food for astronauts.
Excerpt:
“Let us Take You Out to Launch!
The wildest, yet most practical idea at the Fair this year is a farm-to-table bistro on the Moon. Ordinary food for an extraordinary work-life balance, is no luxury. Eating good food together is good for morale, a way to stay in-touch with humanity, and when you’re far from home… you’ll need that.”
A full-color, illustrated, 24-page booklet that introduce the Moon Corps service concept, the ice-mining, the farm, and the kitchen.
SIZE: 8 in. x 5.5 in., 24-pages
EDITION: First, 200 copies
MADE in Portland, Oregon
Written and illustrated by Joe Wirtheim
The Moon gardens on our Lunar base provide plenty of vegetables for canning and preserving. 8x12 inch art print, designed and printed in Portland, Oregon.
This poster is inspired by the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which bans the use of space for military purposes and celebrates Astronauts as the envoys of earth's people. This idealism helped inspire the Moon Corps project, which envisions a future for space exploration that is equitable, accessible, and healthy for all humankind. Beautifully printed, this open-edition print is 24x36 inches.
This beautifully designed bandana celebrates the bold idea that Earth tomatoes can grow on the Moon. The design reflects the round grow habitats and details the tomato blossom and its ripe fruit. Designed in Portland, Oregon and ethically produced in India.
SIZE: 29 in. x 29 in.
MATERIAL: 100% Organic Cotton
MADE in India
Joe Wirtheim has lead his independent art and design studio since 2010. His other project The Victory Garden of Tomorrow is a widely-recognized illustrated poster series of modern classics. As well as a widely distributed yard and garden sign project, featuring illustrations with birds, bees and butterflies.
Our client work includes The Hollywood Theater (posters), The Portland Trailblazers (posters), The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation (signs), and work has appeared in Martha Stewart Living Magazine, The New York Times, The LA Times, The Portland Mercury, and more. He is a member of the AIGA, the association for professional designers.
Joe Wirtheim is a proud Midwesterner who has called the Pacific Northwest home for almost 20 years. At his studio in Portland, Oregon he brings to life visions that center around the garden, kitchen, and community. Joe’s purpose is to dramatize the struggle to humanize the future, assuage our anxieties of the future, and to lend purpose to being an American consumer.