Exhibition Debut
Terrestrial Level: Liability
A video projected onto a radar like structure, narrating and elaborating on the various geographic, technological as well as legal complexities of space debris tracking, monitoring and following disposal in the South Pacific Ocean.
Orbital Level: Forecast
A timeline visualizing all the artificial space objects that fell within the South Pacific Ocean Uninhabited Area (SPOUA) from 1959 until now - reflecting on the past, present and future presence of space objects in marine environments.
Submarine Level: Sedimentation
Bathymetric model of the South Pacific Ocean, which acts as an archeological site where the remains of reentered spacecrafts are more or less preserved. As a geological region, it represents the only static element within an otherwise changing environment of space and ground infrastructures.
Found Images
Photographic documentation of space debris taken during a Space Shuttle mission, image by NASA
COBRA DANE Radar facility at Eareckson Air Station, Alaska, image courtesy of Air Force Space Command
The oceanic pole of inaccessibility (48°52.5′S 123°23.6′W), image from Google Maps
Monitoring screen for space debris observed from Earth, image courtesy of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
SpaceX Falcon 9 booster that landed in the ocean, image courtesy of Canaveral Port Authority
Field Research
Radar Antennas at Medicina radio observatory
Photographic documentation of space debris taken during a Space Shuttle mission.
Exhibition Renderings
Final Documentary
The Oceanic Pole of Undefined Liability
Giacomo Nanni & Julian Peschel
Space junk is usually associated with the ring of debris orbiting our planet, but it often reenters the atmosphere. The proliferation of controlled splashdowns of orbital craft in the Pacific Ocean has recently been brought to wider attention through coverage of Point Nemo, also known as the Spacecraft Cemetery. Romanticised through media portrayals and blogs, with “dead” spacecraft often anthropomorphised as having found their “final resting place”, sunken spacecraft offer a way to communicate the mind-boggling reality of human space debris. But space waste is a problem on earth too. Point Nemo has become a chaotic dumping ground, framed by a complex legal dilemma around environmental damage.
Tracking and Trashing: The Oceanic Pole of Undefined Liability offers a counter-narrative to the idea that space junk is just an orbital issue. Dividing their exploration across three domains – terrestrial, submarine and orbital – Giacomo Nanni and Julian Peschel created a layered story of the past, present and potential future of Point Nemo.
Bringing together legal documents, news coverage and historic imagery from a range of sources, they present a video that explains the geographic, technological and legal complexities of monitoring and disposing of space debris.
Geo-referenced data is used to create a bathymetric model, imagining the Pacific Ocean as an archaeological site for the exploration of the remains of aircraft that have remained more-or-less preserved. Finally, a timeline visualising all of the space objects that have fallen in the ocean since 1959, examines the intersection of the UN Law of the Sea and the sovereign rights of nations and highlights the risk of impact for key shipping routes.
Credits
Sound Design: Meltem Kalayci
Sound Engineering: Björn Patrik Pfeiffer
Voice Over: Detlef Neuls
Exhibition Renderings and Measurements: Gülcan Celik
Satellite Re-entry Details: Germano Bianchi (Stazione Radioastronomia di Medicina)
Exhibition Construction: Jasper van Es / PAPERJAM
3D Printing: Michele Rendesi
References
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Alexis Macaire, “Space Debris Management of Launch Operations,” 7th European Conference on Space Debris, Darmstadt, April 8–21, 2017. Link
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Pierandrea Leucci, “Outer Space and the Marine Environment: Responsibility of States for Damages Caused by Man-made Space Debris to the Marine Environment of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction,” Lecce, Italy . (2017)
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Additional Data on Space Debris Link
Maritime Boundaries Link
Two-line element set (TLE) Link
Bathymetry Data Link
Notice to Mariners Link
Bio
We are an information design duo carrying a strong passion for visual journalism and digital cartography to visually narrate the complexity of the information surrounding us. Driven by a fascination towards science, technology and society, we employ design to examine the geopolitical connections hidden in those realms and visualize the impact they have on wider communities.