Orbital Reflector
{{short description|2018 sculpture and passive satellite by Trevor Paglen}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2018}}
{{infobox artwork
| artist = Trevor Paglen
| year = 2018
| website = {{URL|https://www.orbitalreflector.com}}
}}
Orbital Reflector is a reflective, mylar sculpture by Trevor Paglen launched into space as a temporary satellite. Co-produced by the Nevada Museum of Art, the $1.3 million project had the objective of being the first "purely artistic" object in space. The satellite, containing an inflatable mylar balloon with reflective surface, launched into space 3 December 2018.
Orbital Reflector launched on Monday, December 3, at 10:34 a.m. EST on board the SpaceX Spaceflight SSO-A: SmallSat Express.{{cite web |last1=King |first1=Bob |title=SpaceX Launches Orbiting Sculpture in the Sky |url=https://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/spacex-orbiting-sculpture/ |website=Sky and Telescope |date=5 December 2018 |access-date=15 January 2019 |archive-date=January 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190115234348/https://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/spacex-orbiting-sculpture/ |url-status=live }}
Originally it was expected to remain in orbit for three months, after which it would disintegrate upon reentry to the Earth's atmosphere. However, the deployment was delayed by the 2018–2019 United States federal government shutdown — by the time the 35-day shutdown had ended, the museum's engineers had lost contact with the satellite, the electronics and hardware of which "were not hardened for long-term functionality in space".{{cite news |title=Artist Trevor Paglen's $1.5 Million 'Orbital Reflector' Is Officially Lost in Space Thanks to President Trump's Government Shutdown |url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/trevor-paglen-orbital-reflector-lost-space-1533073 |access-date=3 October 2020 |work=artnet News |date=2 May 2019 |archive-date=October 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020143338/https://news.artnet.com/art-world/trevor-paglen-orbital-reflector-lost-space-1533073 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/may/07/how-donald-trump-ruined-a-space-art-project|title=How Donald Trump ruined a space art project|date=May 7, 2019|work=The Guardian}}
It became lost in orbit, constituting space junk. {{citation needed|date=December 2021}}
See also
- Humanity Star, a passive satellite to reflect flares visible from Earth
- Znamya (satellite)
Further reading
{{refbegin}}
- {{Cite web |last1=Cascone |first1=Sarah |title=Trevor Paglen Is About to Launch a Reflective Sculpture Into Outer Space, and Astronomers Are Really Pissed Off About It |work=Artnet News |date=2018-08-23 |url=https://news.artnet.com/exhibitions/astronomers-object-to-outer-space-art-trevor-paglen-1336952 |language=en-US |access-date=2018-08-25 |df=mdy-all |archive-date=August 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826005041/https://news.artnet.com/exhibitions/astronomers-object-to-outer-space-art-trevor-paglen-1336952 |url-status=live }}
- {{Cite web |last1=Cascone |first1=Sarah |title=Trevor Paglen Responds to Astronomers Who Criticize His Space-Based Art—and Has a Few Questions for Them, Too |work=Artnet News |date=2018-08-23 |url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/trevor-paglen-responds-to-angry-astronomers-1337462 |language=en-US |access-date=2018-08-25 |df=mdy-all |archive-date=August 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826005038/https://news.artnet.com/art-world/trevor-paglen-responds-to-angry-astronomers-1337462 |url-status=live }}
- {{Cite web |last1=Chow |first1=Denise |title=Artist's artificial 'star' will take public art to new heights |work=NBC News |date=2018-08-22 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/manmade-star-launch-orbit-public-art-exhibit-space-ncna902596 |language=en |access-date=2018-08-25 |df=mdy-all |archive-date=August 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823195008/https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/manmade-star-launch-orbit-public-art-exhibit-space-ncna902596 |url-status=live }}
- {{Cite web |last1=Curiel |first1=Jonathan |title=Trevor Paglen's Satellite of Love |work=SF Weekly |date=2018-04-05 |url=http://www.sfweekly.com/culture/trevor-paglens-satellite-of-love/ |language=en-US |access-date=2018-04-13 |df=mdy-all |archive-date=August 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826005036/http://www.sfweekly.com/culture/trevor-paglens-satellite-of-love/ |url-status=live }}
- {{Cite web |last1=Dvorsky |first1=George |title=Hey Artists, Stop Putting Shiny Crap Into Space |work=Gizmodo |date=2018-08-16 |url=https://gizmodo.com/hey-artists-stop-putting-shiny-crap-into-space-1828299936 |language=en-US |access-date=2018-08-25 |df=mdy-all |archive-date=August 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826005021/https://gizmodo.com/hey-artists-stop-putting-shiny-crap-into-space-1828299936 |url-status=live }}
- {{Cite news |last1=Knapton |first1=Sarah |title=Heavens to shine with new 'star' as first space sculpture prepares for launch |work=The Telegraph |date=2018-08-12 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/08/11/heavens-shine-new-star-first-space-sculpture-prepares-launch/ |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235 |df=mdy-all |access-date=August 25, 2018 |archive-date=September 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909063551/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/08/11/heavens-shine-new-star-first-space-sculpture-prepares-launch/ |url-status=live }}
- {{Cite web |last1=Nunes |first1=Andrew |last2=Wagley |first2=Catherine |title=Far Out! These 5 Cosmic Art Projects Prove That Outer Space Is the Next Avant-Garde Frontier |work=Artnet News |date=2019-02-12 |url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/art-outer-space-1462288 |access-date=2019-03-03 |df=mdy-all |archive-date=February 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212122418/https://news.artnet.com/art-world/art-outer-space-1462288 |url-status=live }}
- {{Cite magazine |last1=Sohn |first1=Timothy |title=SpaceX Is Launching a Piece of Art Into Orbit |magazine=Wired |date=2018-11-28 |url=https://www.wired.com/story/spacex-is-launching-a-piece-of-art-into-orbit/ |issn=1059-1028 |df=mdy-all |access-date=December 3, 2018 |archive-date=October 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016224612/https://www.wired.com/story/spacex-is-launching-a-piece-of-art-into-orbit/ |url-status=live }}
{{refend}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|https://www.orbitalreflector.com}}
- [https://sattrackcam.blogspot.com/2018/11/modelling-expected-orbital-lifespan-of.html Analysis of orbital lifespan]
{{Orbital launches in 2018}}
Category:Spacecraft launched in 2018
Category:Satellites orbiting Earth
Category:Kickstarter-funded works of art
Category:Kickstarter-funded spacecraft
Category:SpaceX commercial payloads