S P R I T E - S A T
Space Art Exhibition in Microscale / Micro-Etching Art in Outer Space

SPRITE-SAT SPACE ART LAUNCH!
The SPRITE-SAT was successfully launched by Japan's H-IIA rocket from Tanegashima Space Center at 12:54:00 (JST) on January 23rd, 2009 (Fri).

SPRITE-SAT exhibition:
Developed by Tohoku University, Japan, the primary mission of the satellite SPRITE-SAT is a scientific study of lightening phenomena above the cloud layers, in addition, using this opportunity, university is also organizing the first art exhibition in outer space! 40 monochrome digital drawings were submitted from invited artists from 14 different countries. These art pieces were miniaturized and fabricated on a silicon wafer using photolithography and dry-etching technology. The photolithography and etching process was done on a standard silicon wafer, so that each art piece has a 2.5 by 2.5 millimeters (minimum dot size is 5 micron). The art pieces are currently exhibited in orbit attached on the top of an antenna boom on the top of the satellite.

http://www.astro.mech.tohoku.ac.jp/SpaceArt/e/spaceart/index.html

SPRITE-SAT mission:
A nickname "RISING" was given to the SPRITE-SAT. "RA-I-JI-N" is the god of thunder and lightning in Japanese mythology. The nickname plays on the similar sound of the English word "rising" and the Japanese god "Raijin." The SPRITE-SAT (RISING) will observe upper-atmospheric lightnings called "sprites", as well as terrestrial Gamma-ray flashes (TGF) and very-low frequency (VLF) electric waves, possibly generated by the lightnings. If successful, both looking down images of sprites from outer space and the simultaneous observation of TGF and VLF will be world-first achievements.

http://www.astro.mech.tohoku.ac.jp/SPRITE-SAT/index_e.html

Copyright (C) images
2009 Space Robotics Lab - Tohoku University, Japan

Click picture for close up view

091-1 | SPRITE | SPACE-DIVER | 2009 Micro-Etching Art in Outer Space | SPRITE-SAT Monochrome digital drawing by Sarah Jane Pell, Space Art Exhibition in Microscale curated by Ayako Ono

091-2 | SPRITE | SPACE-DIVER | 2009 Micro-Etching Art in Outer Space | SPRITE-SAT Photolithography of monochrome digital drawing by Sarah Jane Pell, Space Art Exhibition in Microscale curated by Ayako Ono

091-3 | SPRITE | SPACE-DIVER | 2009 Micro-Etching Art in Outer Space | SPRITE-SAT 5 micron silicon wafer etching of monochrome digital drawing by Sarah Jane Pell, Space Art Exhibition in Microscale curated by Ayako Ono