Chalk It Up
Nidhi Shah
November 8th, 2024
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Genre/Medium: Pen, Marker, Colored Pencil
About the work:
“Chalk It Up” represents the humble beginnings of the incredible Psyche mission. This artwork captures the remarkable engineering feats and collaborative efforts that transformed what seemed impossible a decade ago into a reality. Much of this progress can be traced back to a single idea on a chalkboard (or, more commonly now, a whiteboard). The foundational math and science concepts depicted on the boards—like F=ma—continue to be essential to the success of such missions.
At the center of the piece is Psyche, the goddess of the soul, depicted with her hair symbolizing the 16 Psyche asteroid. Her wings are illustrated more mechanically, representing Psyche’s solar panels, to show the connection between the goddess behind the name and the spacecraft. This piece was created using markers and pens, with colored pencils employed to create a chalkboard texture, while white pen mimics chalk on the blackboards. The way in which the chalkboards seem to continue off the page depicts the vast amounts of understanding, hard work, and disciplines involved in the success of the mission.
However, the success of the Psyche mission relies not only on engineers and scientists but also on a wide range of support roles. Not explicitly shown in the artwork are the programmatic experts who work tirelessly to ensure proper funding, management, and support for the mission. Their contributions are vital to turning back-of-the-envelope ideas into reality.
As a mechanical engineering student, I find inspiration in the connection between my class notes and the principles that NASA engineers use to design spacecraft. “Chalk It Up” reflects my passion for engineering and emphasizes the interconnectedness of various disciplines in achieving extraordinary goals. It serves as a reminder that from humble beginnings, groundbreaking ideas can flourish, uniting individuals across fields to explore the cosmos together. The engineering marvels can always be “chalked up” to the contributions of each mission expert.
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