adrifts:

The space shuttle Atlantis blasted off on July 8, 2011 for the last time, marking NASA’s final shuttle launch ever. It’s no question that Americans were sad to see the shuttle program come to an end, but what about the astronauts? How do you think they feel now that many of them are out of jobs? Photographer Neil DaCosta and art director Sara Phillips chose to take a look at the rather depressing idea of a former astronaut who turns suicidal.

Though the series of photos, named “Astronaut Suicides,” are definitely darkly comedic, they send a message about not only NASA astronauts who are now out of a job, but also the rest of the country that’s looking for work in a time of economic depression. DaCosta and Phillips staged a series of about 10 different ways of killing oneself.