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Psyche Inspired
The Approach
Veronica Keff
December 4th, 2024
Major: Astrophysics, minor in Mathematics
Genre/Medium: Laser Show; BEYOND Laser System Software at Fiske Planetarium. Original animation created in ToonSquid, with Psyche’s trajectory data compiled by Paige Arthur
About the work:
“The Approach” is a laser show that tells the story of the Psyche spacecraft’s trajectory around asteroid 16 Psyche. Starting with an idea of a digital painting, the piece evolved from an abstract depiction of orbits around 16 psyche to a 2 minute laser show at Fiske Planetarium showcasing the spiral path of the probe around the asteroid.
Why lasers? I wanted to reference how Psyche communicates with mission control on Earth via NASA’s DSOC (Deep Space Optical Communications) experiment. This allows spacecraft traveling the solar system to communicate with Earth via the near-infrared laser transceiver fitted on the spacecraft itself and receiving ground stations on Earth (e.g. Palomar’s Hale Telescope).
Making “The Approach” was a very rewarding experience and a substantial challenge. I made the animation using real trajectory data (courtesy of Psyche GNCS Engineer Paige Arthur) and tediously keyframing the spacecraft to follow the spiral trajectory. This animation method later presented issues with trying to upload the animation into Fiske Planetarium’s BEYOND laser system, but with the help and perseverance of several Fiske employees including myself, we managed to fix these issues and uncovered a simpler way of making custom animations in the laser system.
I hope that this project can serve as a way to elevate future laser shows and that people may appreciate the beautiful and surreal nature of Psyche’s voyage through the solar system through light and time, the same simple ingredients as what NASA sees of the mission.
Psyche Inspired Overview
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. These works are posted in the gallery above and highlighted on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. View the full resolution images in the image gallery. This year’s Psyche Inspired cohort is known as the Iridium Class.
Psyche Inspired was piloted at ASU during the 2017-2018 academic year. The following academic year, Psyche Inspired expanded nationally! The works from each Psyche Inspired cohort are collected in individual downloadable books that tell the story of Psyche through musical scores, sculptures, painting, 3-D models, photography, acrylic art, needlepoint, stop-motion films, mixed media, and more.
Click here to view all the Psyche Inspired books
Take a look at our comprehensive map that shows how the Psyche Inspired program has grown over the years!
