Tom Sachs Rocket Factory NFT: Everything To Know

Ever wanted to build a rocket but, well, don’t have the money for it? Thanks to Tom Sachs Rocket Factory NFT, now you can! Created by artist Tom Sachs, the NFT project lets you build a unique virtual rocket. What’s more, Sachs will also build a physical replica of your rocket! Let’s take a deeper look into this first-of-a-kind NFT project: What is Tom Sachs Rocket Factory NFT? Who created Tom Sachs Rocket Factory and how does it work?

What is Tom Sachs Rocket Factory?

“Tom Sachs: Rocket Factory is a trans-dimensional manufacturing plant,” says the NFT project’s website. “Our Rocket Factory uses NFTs to build new NFTs.”

And that pretty much sums up the project. You can claim different Component NFTs and then combine them whichever way you want into a rocket. You can then mint this personalised rocket that you created! 

Furthermore, all the minted rockets come with a “launch” option. If you select this option, Tom Sachs will hand-make a toy-sized physical rocket sculpture in what the project calls the “meat-world” (physical world”). Once—and if—the rocket is recovered, you have the option to either get it delivered to you, donate it to a museum, or shred it.

Who Created Tom Sachs Rocket Factory?

Tom Sachs, an American contemporary artist, created the Rocket Factory NFT project in the Summer of 2021. He is famous for his mixed-media sculptures that are often reimaginations of modern icons. All his sculptures are handmade with plywood, resin, steel, ceramic, and even everyday materials like phone books, duct tape, and foamcore. 

The sculptor has partnered with major brands like Nike to create a range of innovative pieces. His works are part of museum collections in the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, to name a few.

How Does Tom Sachs Rocket Factory Work?

Firstly, you have to buy the Component NFTs from Tom Sachs Rocket Factory’s marketplace. To make a rocket, you need three components: a nose cone, body, and tail assembly—each a separate NFT. Once you mint a completed rocket NFT, the website burns the components NFTs. All in all, there can only be 1,000 completed rockets. 

Your final rocket can either be a Perfect Rocket or a Frankenrocket. The former is composed of three matching components, while the latter is a complete mismatch. Throw in a McDonald’s nose cone, a NASA body, a Tiffany and Co tail and you have your own Frankenrocket!

As previously mentioned, during the mint you have the option to launch a physical version of your rocket. Initially, these launches will happen in US and Europe, followed by other continents. 

But, that’s not all. 

Firstly, Tom Sachs will invite the rocket owners to the launch event. Once the rocket is launched, the artist will try his best to recover the rocket, which he will then ship to its owner in a custom display box. Next, the project will update the Rocket NFT with metadata from the launch and link the asset to a video of the launch.

Ultimately, Completed Rocket NFT, its Physical Rocket version (if recovered), and the video of the launch, make up a “holy trinity”. “These are not 3 separate things,” the project notes. “This is one. A Singular Transdimensional NFT, and it is yours to keep.”

The next rocket launch event is all set to happen in Seoul, Korea on June 26, 2022. Launch events are planned in July and August as well. If you have not yet launched your rocket, you can pick a launch date and pay a 0.1 ETH fee to launch your rocket. 

How Much Does a Tom Sachs Rocket Cost?

Currently, you can buy Completed Rocket NFTs from secondary marketplaces like OpenSea. However, these are not exactly cheap. The cheapest one will cost you 2.8 ETH or about $5,500. But the good news is that there are still several rockets that have not been launched. So, if you want to own the “holy trinity” you can do so by paying a little more than the floor price.

Some of the NFTs in the collection, of course, cost much higher. In April 2022, for instance, luxury jewelry brand Tiffany & Co bought a fully assembled Tom Sachs Rocket Factory NFT for $380,000. 

Similarly, Sachs auctioned “Through the Night Softly” rocket NFT for $86,376 at the time. It features a Miami Vice logo and was auctioned at At Art Basel in Miami in collaboration with the auction house, Christie’s. 

American rapper, record producer, singer, and songwriter, Pharrel Williams has also aped into the Tom Sachs Rocket Factory collection. He bought a Chanel-branded, Completed Rocket NFT. 

The Future of the Project

Now that the rocket launches are live, Tom Sachs Rocket Factory has several things lined up on its roadmap. This includes the delivery of physical rockets and launch videos. Additionally, special access to factory uniforms, the opening of the metaverse rocket factory, and several surprise events are also in the pipeline.

Besides, recently, the project dropped a limited-edition Rocket Factory Fanny Pack for Rocket NFT holders. These packs are made of Dyneema, a strong, waterproof, lightweight non-woven composite fabric. It can accommodate a notebook, an iPad, or a 13” MacBook.

All in all, Tom Sachs Rocket Factory is a first of it’s kind NFT project that allows collectors to assemble their own personalised NFTs. This allows investors and collectors to set their creative juices flowing and create something completely unique.