Space Waste Lab – All photos by Daan Rosegarde.
Sci-Fi – If you happen to be near Almere, Netherlands, do not panic if you see beams of light pointing the sky. It is not a UFO, but a lighting performance of the SPACE WASTE LAB by Dutch artist and innovator Daan Roosegaarde. The project features vertical lines of lights tracking space waste from rockets and satellites on an altitude of 200 to 20.000 kilometers.
Currently there are more than 29.000 objects larger than 10 centimeters floating around the earth. This ‘space waste’ can damage our satellites, with collisions creating more space debris and disturbing our digital communications. “Planet Earth is surrounded by a layer of junk. What can we do with it? Is it a problem or the ingredient for something new?” Says Daan Roosegaarde.
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An accompanying living lab supported by experts from ESA, students and visitors will take place at KAF –Kunstlinie Almere Flevoland– to investigate how to up-cycle space waste into sustainable products.
SPACE WASTE LAB is a part of Roosegaarde’s larger vision for Schoonheid, a Dutch word meaning both beauty and cleanliness, as in clean space, clean air, clean water, clean energy. Schoonheid is an activator for change, for citizens, makers, NGOs and governments to value and empower Schoonheid as a creative force to make clean environments.
Next to the SPACE WASTE LAB, a dedicated education, films, talks and expo programme entitled “Space @ KAF” covers the wider context of Space. Check the website to find out more about activities and projections.
All photos by Daan Roosegaarde.
