Episcopal church unveils sculpture honoring Black pioneers of space exploration

St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas unveiled EarthRise, a public sculpture honoring Black Americans, women, and people from underrepresented groups who contributed to the U.S. space program. The sculpture, dedicated August 16, features a parabolic canopy resembling a spacecraft wing with approximately 50 people of color depicted in stained-glass mosaic. Eight plaques forming a miniature space capsule display photographs and biographical information of pioneering space program contributors, including former NASA Administrator Charles Bolden Jr., a longtime church member. The sculpture was funded largely through the Diocese of Texas's Joseph and John Talbot Fund for Racial Reconciliation, established as part of the diocese's 2020 Missionary Vision for Racial Justice Initiative, which allocated $13 million for reconciliation efforts. The congregation received a $116,000 grant plus $15,000 in congregational fundraising. The design, selected from three finalists, was created by the Genesis Art Collaborative over several years of engineering and permitting work. The sculpture is illuminated nightly and open to public viewing. The church is also producing a documentary featuring video footage and interviews with some of the NASA pioneers highlighted in the work.

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Source: Episcopal News Service — https://episcopalnewsservice.org/2026/08/20/texas-churchs-sculpture-near-nasa-center-honors-black-americans-women-tied-to-space-race/