Listen Now to Debate on Orbital Space Art
With the advent of cheap space flight we are poised with the opportunity to create amazing art in space that can be seen by millions of people. But will it be good art or schock? And who decides what is seen by millions fo people at the same time?
The latest project along these lines, simply known as “The Orbital Reflector,” is a reflective, inflatable sculpture affixed to a small satellite that, once ejected, will orbit the earth for several weeks before disintegrating upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. The artistic vision of Orbital Reflector, according to their website, “encourages all of us to look up at the night sky with a renewed sense of wonder, to consider our place in the universe, and to reimagine how we live together on this planet.”
Or will this new art just create space junk, a showboating stunt that could start a precedent for invasive and uninvited intrusion into the celestial canopy of all the people of the world? To help us evaluate this new kind of art, we speak with Kit Galloway, early high tech artist, and co-founder of the orginal Electronic Cafe, and Don Davis, long time NASA space artist and animator. We have quite a lively debate which we believe you will enjoy!
