A contest held by the European Space Agency (ESA) piqued my interest.
I have always been fascinated by astronomy, space, and the universe. I follow the latest in space exploration science and news. As a creative, nothing is more awe-inspiring than discovering new aspects of nature and its behavior. In 2017, I came across this announcement on the European Space Agency (ESA): They were holding a design contest for a mission named CHEOPS, or CHaracterising ExOPlanets Satellite.
Let’s briefly talk about what CHEOPS does. Exoplanets are planets that exist beyond our solar system and orbit stars that are not our own Sun. The first discoveries of exoplanets happened in the 1990s. One way to discover new planets orbiting other stars is to measure the drop in light as a planet crosses in front of the star from our field of view. In order to find these stars, telescopes would focus on a star and wait for dips in light. CHEOPS builds on this method and catalogue of known stars with a high precision photon detector to determine how large the planet’s radius is and its probable density. With these more accurate measurements, scientists can postulate the planet’s make-up and internal structure among other factors. This information is incredibly useful in developing models on solar system formation and evolution.
ESA wanted designers to submit an image that would be painted onto the fairing (side) of the Soyuz rocket that would launch CHEOPS into orbit. As I read about the mission goals and specific science instruments, I began to envision an image reflecting the technical aspects of CHEOPS observing humanity's history of exploration.
The majority of exoplanets discovered thus far have been so-called “hot Jupiters.” These planets are roughly the size of Jupiter but typically larger, made up of gas, and orbit closely to their star. Just as Jupiter and Saturn are gas giants, so are the majority of first exoplanets found. The reason for this is quite simple: they are easier to detect when passing in front of their parent star. Their size and orbits are most often large and tight respectively. These types of planets are probably hellish places because of their proximity to the parent star.
I wanted to reflect this category of planets in my design, as it would be the main focus of the CHEOPS mission. I chose to depict compass dividers measuring photon length of a hot Jupiter planet, in reference to the sea-faring navigators of humanity's history. The imagery succinctly captures not only the mission of CHEOPS but the drive behind man’s tireless quest to explore and understand our place in the universe.
I was humbled and honored to be a finalist out of more than 300 submissions for the CHEOPS design contest.
Here are some quick links to learn more about CHEOPS:
Highly commended contributions
Banner image courtesy of ESA
