“Much like consciously choosing to buy products that are environmentally friendly, it is important that we consciously choose to send satellites into orbit that minimise space junk. One way to do this is through co-operation and shared missions.”
Brendan Nash – SkyArk
We are sending Art into space and the first question we are asked is how we can justify adding to the so-called “space junk” in orbit. And this is a very good question, one that we have contemplated deeply while developing our Art in space platform. To solve this problem we have decided to either co-operate with existing satellite companies or to send into orbit open source science modules for the greater good.
For instance we work with Spire Global, Inc. which is a space-to-cloud data and analytics company that specializes in the tracking of global data sets. Spire sends useful satellites into space and each mission has capacity left over for our Art in space concept.
Additionally, we are supporting science missions for the public good. The data collected can be used by universities, research institutions and even commercial companies to generate products that benefit our planet.
As an example, we could host a Hyperspectral or alternatively an 8 band MultiSpectral Remote Sensing payload to capture science data. While our “Art in Space” mission covers the original manufacturing and day-to-day satellite operations. The two missions can be configured to work alongside or in alternating imaging modes. A key element enabling this joint use case is that the orbital maneuvering, power generation, control and data streaming architectures of the Art in space mission overlap with the science use case making the science use-case upgrade extremely cost-efficient. However, the overall mission is immediately classified as a dual purpose Art plus science and public good mission, dramatically changing the narrative of Art in space.