Jon Hopkins and Ólafur Arnalds craft a cosmic ode for NASA’s new moon-bound installation

Jon Hopkins and Ólafur Arnalds have crafted a powerful musical piece, ‘Forever Held’, that will journey to the moon on a NanoFiche disk as part of NASA’s latest art installation. This collaboration, with Hopkins leading the composition and Arnalds enhancing it with haunting string arrangements, draws inspiration from “love letters from Earth to space” written by NASA creative director Erica Bernhard. According to Bernhard, Hopkins’ sound captures “the expansiveness of space” while staying rooted in “the rhythms of life on Earth.”

Coldplay featured an excerpt of ‘Forever Held’ in the introduction to their ‘Moon Music’ segment, adding further depth to the track’s celestial resonance. The song now serves as the soundtrack to NASA ‘Space for Earth’ installation, an immersive experience at NASA’s Washington, D.C., headquarters. This exhibit, the agency’s first of its kind for public engagement, offers visitors a fresh perspective on Earth as seen through the lens of NASA’s satellites.

Beyond the music, the installation includes Bernhard’s heartfelt letters and stills from her video, all intended to accompany ‘Forever Held’ as it heads to the lunar surface. In this ambitious collaboration, Hopkins hopes listeners will feel “held” by Earth, reflecting on humanity’s delicate yet powerful presence in the universe. Through this piece, NASA ‘Space for Earth’ presents a poetic reminder of our bond with both Earth and the stars above, encouraging visitors to contemplate humanity’s place in the cosmos.