Psyche Mission Orbit A Notebook
Jessica Gurney
November 15th, 2024
Major: Astronomy
Genre/Medium: bookbinding
About the work:
This is the “Psyche Mission Orbit A Notebook.” This book is the first in a series about the four orbits the spacecraft will inhabit once it reaches Psyche. In orbit A, the mission focuses on detecting an electromagnetic field. The cover features my drawn interpretation of the asteroid, surrounded by a lit-up electromagnetic field. On the back is a blurb explaining about how and why scientists are going to look for an electromagnetic field, and what it would mean if they find one.
For this project I wanted the cover to feel like a storybook. Book covers need to not only grasp the readers’ attention, but convey the tone or genre of the book through colors and imagery. The lights were my way of capturing attention. The cover was supposed to show a literal representation of what the spacecraft would see: black sky, distant stars, and the Psyche asteroid. The words “Electromagnetic Field” are on the front to clarify what the lights represent, and by then the reader will know what the book is about. Finally, for those curious enough to continue, they have the synopsis on the back. I wanted a synopsis that explained the scientific reasons for the mission in a simple yet insightful way so adults and children could understand it.
The cover is made of black linen book cloth. The blurb and asteroid were printed on vinyl, while the lettering was painted on with glue and covered with silver foil flakes. The highlight of the piece, the light up field, is a series of LED’s controlled by an Arduino Nano inside the false rounded spine. The interior book is hand sewn and finished with two handmade, marbled end pages.
Psyche Inspired is a program that brings undergraduate students from any discipline or major together to share the excitement, innovation, and scientific and engineering content of NASA’s Psyche mission with the public in new ways through artistic and creative works. This year’s Psyche Inspired cohort is known as the Iridium Class. These works are posted in the gallery and highlighted on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. View the full resolution images in the image gallery. There are many ways to get involved with NASA’s Psyche mission. Learn how you can be a part of the Psyche mission through our “Get Involved” pages at https://psyche.asu.edu/get-involved/ and https://science.nasa.gov/mission/psyche/ways-to-participate/. To learn more about the overall Psyche mission, visit nasa.gov/psyche or jpl.nasa.gov/missions/psyche.
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