Psyche Inspired: Sophie Hullinger

Sophie Hullinger

Institution: University of Michigan

Major: Art & Design

Psyche Inspired Class: 2018-2019

Psyche: Discovery to Expedition

Sophie Hullinger

April 2, 2019

Major: art & design

Genre/Medium: stop-motion animation with paper

About the work: This stop-motion animation is an artistic representation of how Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis discovered (16) Psyche in 1852, and it draws a comparison to the launch of the Psyche spacecraft in 2022, led by Lindy Elkins-Tanton. This piece shows how big of a deal it is that this mission is happening and how far space discovery has come in such a relatively short amount of time.

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Abstract Orbiter Origins

Sophie Hullinger

March 15, 2019

Major: art & design

Genre/Medium: stop-motion animation of aluminum

About the work: This piece is a stop-motion animation using pieces of aluminum. The pieces reveal, unfold, and combine themselves into the bare bones of the Psyche spacecraft’s components. I wanted to make the spacecraft seem so full of life that it creates itself just for the mission.

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An asteroid is in the middle of 4 oval outlines and an orbiter shape is on the outermost oval.

Psyche Designs 1, 2, and 3

Sophie Hullinger

January 29, 2019

Major: art & design

Genre/Medium: digital

About the work: In this project I wanted to create three designs that focus on different aspects of the Psyche mission while using consistent color palettes. When viewed all together, the designs create an abstract narrative of the asteroid and how we are getting to it. Design 1 is an exploration of texture on the surface of (16) Psyche through layering three colored versions of a pen drawing of the asteroid. Design 2 focuses on the four rings of the orbiter’s staging orbits at the asteroid. Design 3 is a simplification of the exterior of the Psyche orbiter.

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A gold circle spins in front of stars; asteroids collide with it until a grey circle is left.

Psyche Orgins

Sophie Hullinger

December 7, 2018

Major: art & design

Genre/Medium: video

About the work: This piece depicts the hypothesis that (16) Psyche is the metallic core of a protoplanet, and by learning about Psyche we can learn more about Earth’s core. It is thought that the protoplanet collided with other material in the early solar system over a long period of time, removing all the rocky layers and exposing the core underneath. For my project, a metallic sheet was cut and bent in the shape of Psyche and suspended from the ceiling. Projected onto the metal Psyche shape is a golden representation of the theoretical protoplanet Psyche and an animation of the process for how they think it became the way it is today. The light projected onto Psyche spins around the room, acting as a beacon to tempt us to explore the asteroid.

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