E|A|S (Evolving Asteroid Starships)

BredaPhoto Festival 2018

Exhibition (2018)

Authors

A.C.J. Vermeulen System Engineering - TPM
Research Group
System Engineering (TPM) (TU Delft)
Self-organisation Art and science ISRU Bio-inspired design Emergence Space exploration Asteroid mining Installation art Interstellar exploration Starship Morphogenetic engineering
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Published Date

2018

Language

English

Reuse Rights

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Faculty

Technology, Policy and Management

Department

Multi Actor Systems

Research Group

System Engineering

Abstract

It is inevitable that people will explore unknown solar systems, says artist, scientist and former NASA-employee Angelo Vermeulen (Belgium, 1971). But such a journey could take decades and requires a suitable spaceship. Vermeulen leads the interdisciplinary team DSTART of Delft University of Technology. Their research focuses on solutions that unite the biological, technological and social dimensions of space travel: they develop concepts for interstellar spaceships that evolve during the journey. With E|A|S (Evolving Asteroid Starships) DSTART investigates how to make such a future-proof spaceship. They want to use an asteroid and gradually develop it. The material is used to further expand the spacecraft and its internal ecosystem and to allow the spaceship to evolve in the event of unexpected challenges. The spaceship thus becomes an evolving entity, which is also self-sufficient. Human waste - such as urine, stool, CO2 and sweat - is converted into nutrients for plants that supply food and oxygen for the crew. The team is not yet building a real spacecraft, but is working on the simulations, calculations and algorithms that will soon make this kind of sustainable space exploration into distant solar systems possible. The audiovisual installation they made for BredaPhoto allows you to experience what a self-sufficient ecological spacecraft could look like. The installation was created by: Anton Dobrevski, Nils Faber, Amélie Kim, Joris Putteneers, Sharon van Rijthoven, Angelo Vermeulen, Arise Wan and Jasper Wennekendonk.
Media of output: mixed media art installation.
Size: 15 x 5 x 3m.