Navigating Psyche’s Orbital Pathways
Cindy Furukawa
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Genre/Medium: Craft- beads, washi tape, wire, polymer clay, paints, shrink plastic
About the work: For my first project I geared towards a more hands-on crafting approach because I wanted to work with diverse materials. I drew inspiration from a Japanese wind chime, known as Furin, which are typically displayed at homes as a decoration that embodies relaxation. My vision was to create a tangible piece that portrayed the Psyche mission on a personal and up close level. While space exploration seems vast and boundless with endless opportunities, I hoped to share that knowledge by distilling the vastness and allowing viewers to experience it on a three-dimensional level in their hands. I enjoy being able to view art pieces from different perspectives, so I wanted to encompass that vision by creating a piece that seemed like it was floating in space. Each of the orbitals of the spacecraft’s pathway are represented with various materials to distinguish their unique trajectories and the beads that were chosen for the tails represent the stars and metal make-up of the Psyche asteroid. A detailed spacecraft and a representation of the Psyche asteroid highlights the mission’s purpose and wonders that are born from this space exploration.
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