Satellites : thesis project : thesis presented in partial fulfilment of requirements for the Master of Fine Arts degree, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
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Date
2021
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Massey University
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Abstract
The working title for my thesis project, for the Massey University MFA in Design, is ‘Satellites.’ The project is
centered around the ever-increasing quantity of human-made satellites orbiting the Earth, and subsequent
increasing likelihood of Kessler syndrome. Kessler syndrome, first explained in the 1970’s by NASA scientist
Donald Kessler, describes a scenario where the number of objects orbiting the Earth is so much that collisions
between these objects triggers a runaway cascade of further orbital collisions. The end result would render
certain Earth orbits unusable, up to and including total human access to space, for centuries. Such an event
would also have enormous consequences for life on Earth and the technology which permeates modern society.
My thesis project will use real world data, obtained from credible government and private sector sources, to
create works of art and design which are meant to convey the seriousness of overcrowding in space and explore
the possible run-on effects of life on Earth should Kessler syndrome occur. The goal of my thesis project is to
simplify the vastness of the problem of human caused space pollution into something more accessible and
understandable to average non-expert viewers.