Spaceship Earth (sculpture)

Spaceship Earth was a 350,000-pound Brazilian blue quartzite sculpture created by Finnish American artist Eino Romppanen, Eino. The sculpture was commissioned by Brian Maxwell of Powerbar the Maxwell Family Foundation for the late environmentalist David Brower and its name was often used by Brower referring to mankind traveling through life in a common vehicle. Displayed at Kennesaw State University adjacent to the Social Science building, the sculpture was the first LEED-certified building at the University System of Georgia.

The 175-ton chunk of rock was formed from 88 individual pieces of quartzite and bonded with specially made polyepoxide. After these pieces were in place, Eino attached a life-size bronze model of the late Brower. Additionally, 2,400 bronze pieces were added to the exterior to outline land masses on the earth.

Spaceship Earth was completed in August 2006 and unveiled in October. The sculpture broke apart and started spilling over just two months later. First reports cited poor adhesive and unsound construction contributed to its demise while Eino argued that it had to have been an act of vandalism. The sculpture was rededicated in November 2006.

The sculpture was knocked down and removed from the Kennesaw State University campus on December 20, 2022.