Psyche Inspired: Josh Meister

Institution: Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis

Major: Computer Graphics Technology

Psyche Inspired Class: 2021-2022

Reflections on Psyche Inspired

Reflections on Project 1: Arriving at (16) Psyche

Arriving at (16) Psyche

Josh Meister

November 22, 2021

Major: Computer Graphics Technology

Genre/Medium: Digital Poster: SideFX Houdini, Adobe Substance, Adobe Photoshop, and Blender.

About the work: For this project, my goal was to provide my spin on a visually realistic display of the Psyche orbiter’s first encounter with (16) Psyche, as if viewed by a nearby observer in space. To create this scene, I utilized 3D geometry from Peter Rubin and Maxar Technologies as bases for the asteroid and orbiter respectively. I then spent time detailing and texture-painting these models with my own take on visual realism before composing and lighting the final scene.

Peter Rubin’s 3D-printable asteroid model can be found here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2373526.

Maxar Technologies’ orbiter model can be found here: https://nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov/detail/psyche-5-panel.

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Reflections on Project 2: Birth of Psyche

Birth of Psyche

Josh Meister

February 15, 2022

Major: Computer Graphics Technology

Genre/Medium: Digital 3D Animation: SideFX Houdini

About the work: One of the mysteries of Psyche that I find most compelling is how it came to be in the first place. My personal favorite hypothesis of Psyche’s origin is that it could be core material from a planetary collision. After watching simulations of colliding planetary bodies, I’ve become fascinated by their fluid-like behavior. This piece is an artistic animation inspired by scientific simulations I have seen.

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Reflections on Project 3: A Magnetic World

A Magnetic World

Josh Meister

March 9, 2022

Major: Computer Graphics Technology

Genre/Medium: Digital 3D Animation: SideFX Houdini

About the work: The idea that (16) Psyche may have a measurable magnetic field is a very exciting prospect to me. Not only can magnetic fields tell fascinating stories about a body’s history, but I find them to have their own inherent beauty as well, both artistically and mathematically. For this piece I created an animation of magnetic field lines flowing around Psyche, using Peter Rubin’s Psyche model for the asteroid itself. I hope this piece might inspire others about the Psyche mission’s magnetometry objectives as much as the team has inspired me.

Peter Rubin’s 3D-printable asteroid model can be found here.

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Reflections on Project 4: SDOC (Small Desktop Optical Communication)

SDOC (Small Desktop Optical Communication)

Josh Meister

April 27, 2022

Major: Computer Graphics Technology

Genre/Medium: Arduino, 3D Printing

About the work: One of my favorite aspects of the Psyche mission is its use of the DSOC (Deep Space Optical Communication) system, which uses a laser transmitter to communicate with us on Earth. To show my appreciation for this technology, I have created a small desktop demonstration in which a pulsing laser transmits a 3D model of (16) Psyche to a receiver, which then displays the model as it is received.

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