Talk about a long distance romance! U.S. Astronaut John L. Phillips has taken a set of wedding bands designed by Albuquerque artist M. M. Rogers into orbit 266 miles above the Earth.
The rings, made for Dr. Phillips and wife Laura's 25th wedding anniversary, were sent in advance to the International Space Station aboard a cargo spaceship. Dr. Phillips himself arrived at the International Space Station April 17th with the Expedition 11 crew, and will spend six months aboard the station serving as the stations Science Officer and Flight Engineer. The rings, which are traveling aboard ship at 17,500 mph, have by mid-May traveled about 42,000,000 miles.
Dr. Phillips and his wife spotted the rings in a Houston gallery and special ordered a set in September 2004. When asked if the couple will renew their vows while Dr. Phillips is in space, Rogers says that he doesn't know what the couple’s specific plans are for the wedding set, or why they were sent to space. “Whatever the reason, I think it’s extremely romantic,” he says.
The handmade sterling silver and 14K gold set of rings is embossed with a sine wave design which Rogers says represents “harmony, balance, and continuity.” Rogers has been designing jewelry for over 30 years and has operated his studio since 1990. His work is popular with galleries, museums, and jewelers throughout the country, and is known for its clean geometric lines and handmade quality. “I try to find what’s essential to the design and leave the rest,” says Rogers.
The wedding band set featured here retails for $348, or $149 each if purchased separately. M M Rogers offers over 70 different wedding band designs and patterns.
More information about the Phillip's 'out of this world' wedding set is available at www.mmrogers.com.
