Blog Post Week

 Space + Art

I found this week's topic to be truly captivating. As Professor Vesna aptly pointed out, the allure of space resonates with many individuals, myself included. It is undeniably comforting to grasp the sheer magnitude of the universe, as vividly illustrated in the powers of ten video. Personally, I hold a profound fascination with planets, and I intend to dedicate the remainder of my composition to exploring this subject. According to Nasa, defining a planet is tricky. They say that a planet needs to go around around a star such as our sun, be huge enough to become round due to gravity, and have to have enough gravity to clear other things near its orbit. In our solar system, there are 8 main planets but there is also other planets such as dwarf planets. The 8 main planets from being closest to the sun to the farthest, you have Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune 

“See All Eight Planets in One Night.” https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/see-all-eight-planets-in-one-night/

         

         As technological progress has unfolded, the realm of space has opened, granting greater accessibility. Consequently, a broader range of individuals now engage in the realm of space-related art and culture. During the initial stages of space technologies evolution, the creative visions of artists played a crucial role in inspiring advancements. Literary works such as Dune offered insights into concepts like resource extraction beyond Earth, while contemporary works like the Martian aligned with the growing fascination surrounding human existence on Mars.

Burch, Ella, and Carolyn Cox. “When Was ‘Dune’ Written?” Theportalist.Com, 20 Sept. 2022, https://theportalist.com/when-was-dune-written.

The growing interest in space has spurred the development of space technology. It began with the Ansari X PRIZE challenge, offering a $10 million reward for the reusable manned spacecraft. This investment led to advancements worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Now, spacecraft creation is easier and cheaper, allowing amateurs to participate with smaller goals. CubeSats, inexpensive and modular satellites, enable college students to conduct experiments and observations in space.

“How Much Do CubeSats and SmallSats Cost?” NanoAvionics, 2 Jan. 2023, https://nanoavionics.com/blog/how-much-do-cubesats-and-smallsats-cost/.

Sources:

Boyle, Alan. “SpaceShipOne Wins $10 Million X Prize.” NBC News, 4 Oct. 2004, https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna6167761.

Burch, Ella, and Carolyn Cox. “When Was ‘Dune’ Written?” Theportalist.Com, 20 Sept. 2022, https://theportalist.com/when-was-dune-written.

Art Technologies. “Space Flight Dolphin” http://www.arttechnologies.com/site-2005/projects/space-dolphin2.html

Vesna, Victoria. “8 Space PT3 1280X720.” YouTube, YouTube, 29 July 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WOqt_C55Mk.

Venditti, Bruno. “The Cost of Space Flight Before and After SpaceX.” Visual Capitalist, 27 Jan. 2022, https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-cost-of-space-flight/.