Art and science blast-off for Mars
It is the first piece of art ever sent into space bound for another planet.
Hirst's design is part of the British-led Beagle 2 Mission to discover whether there is life on Mars.
Barely bigger than a credit card, it consists of a series of coloured dots based on one of his trademark spot paintings.
But the piece is far more than a work of art it will fulfil an essential function for the scientists masterminding the mission.
The Beagle 2 probe will land on the surface of the Red Planet and carry out tests to search for signs of life past and present.
The instruments on board will be shaken up during takeoff and landing and put under great stress throughout the seven month voyage so the coloured spots will be used as a "test card" to calibrate them.
Hirst's coloured spots are mounted in an aluminium plate measuring less than 8cm x 8cm, which will be fixed to the Beagle 2 probe.
They are made of special pigments containing iron oxides and minerals of the sort found on Mars, and will be used as a reference chart.
The scientist behind Beagle 2 is planetary expert Professor Colin Pillinger, who had the idea to enlist Hirst in the project after seeing one of his spot paintings in a documentary three years ago.
