Robert McCall, space artist, in front of a part of the “Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight” fresco that he painted for NASA’s Dryden Center. Credit: NASA
Robert McCall passed away at the age of 90 in Scottsdale, Arizona, on 26 February 2010. Admired for his painting and particularly noted for his works based on the space theme, his name is not necessarily known to the general public. And yet, dozens of millions of people have seen his creations! It was he who painted the famous film poster for the unforgettable sci-fi masterpiece 2001, Space Odyssey: the one where a futuristic space shuttle comes out of a wheel-shaped orbital station. The artist worked with NASA numerous times, and his works have even been reproduced as stamps.
From left to right: the official patches for the Apollo 17 lunar mission and space shuttle flights STS-1 and STS-3. Just part of the work that Robert McCall was to perform for NASA. Credit: NASA
Robert McCall designed mission patches for the American Space Agency, including that of the inaugural flight of the first space shuttle. He also created two monumental frescoes for NASA which now adorn the Langley Center in Virginia and the Dryden Center in Edwards, California. And as far as large format is concerned, let us not forget the famous 6-story high “Space Mural” which is displayed in the Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. It is estimated that a dozen or so million people see this outsized painting every year...
In Virginia, NASA’s Langley Center is home to a superb horizontal fresco by Robert McCall. Spanning a width of more than 5 m, it is entitled “Expanding the Frontier of Flight”. Credit: NASA
In the federal capital of the United States, the Air and Space Museum has a monumental, 6-story high painting by Robert McCall, known by the name of “Space Mural”. Credit: National Air and Space Museum
It would however not be fair to restrict the artist to these grandiose creations even though they are outstanding. With more than 400 space paintings, Robert McCall has always featured an optimistic vision of future astronavigation, and this in all honesty, as on more than one occasion, he voiced his opinion that mankind would finish by living somewhere other than Earth. He managed to express this flight to the stars even on the smallest of canvasses devoted to the present, as in this superb “Reaching for the Stars” below.
The “Reaching for the Stars” painting celebrates the STS-1 mission, the first space plane flight. Wearing brown suits, we recognise astronauts John Young (in the foreground with a technician) and Robert Crippen who were both at the controls of the space shuttle Columbia. This painting is exhibited in the American Adventure pavilion in the Epcot theme park at Florida’s Walt Disney World which is about an hour’s drive from the Kennedy Center.Credit: Marie Ange Sanguy
To discover more about this fascinating artist who used his brushes to immortalise the biggest adventure and promises of mankind, you can visit his official website and his fabulous on-line museum. The NASA video below pays tribute to Robert McCall. The American Space Agency has also set up an on-line art gallery.
Koichi Wakata in the International Space Station’s Japanese Kibo laboratory. Onboard the Station from March to July 2009, the astronaut tested underwear made with a fibre that kills bacteria and thus prevents odour, even without washing. Credit: NASA
Faced with hostile conditions in orbit, astronauts have to follow exact protocols to keep themselves in good health such as taking daily physical exercise intended to prevent too big a loss of their bone and muscle masses. Staying in good shape also means keeping scrupulously clean, which is not always easy in a weightless environment: the crews do not take showers, but use damp cloths. Still with hygiene in mind, men and women change their underwear every day; this in itself is a real logistics problem since there is no washing machine on board the International Space Station! As a solution to this, JAXA, the Japanese Space Agency, and one of the universities in Tokyo have developed a textile which does not need to be washed because it kills bacteria (thus neutralising odour), absorbs water and dries quickly. Two astronauts from the Land of the Rising Sun, Takao Doi and Koichi Wakata, have even tested underwear made from this new fibre; the first during a space shuttle mission and the second during a long stay aboard the International Space Station in 2009. Koichi Wakata’s verdict concerning his boxer short is, as regards this problem, eloquent: “I wore it for about a month and my station crewmembers never complained for that month, so I think the experiment went fine”. With a normal fabric, there is no doubt that the inevitable smell would not have failed to bother everyone in the confined space of a space station...
On its website, the Goldwin textile company promotes the derivation of its underwear from technology tested aboard the International Space Station. Credit: Goldwin Inc.
This fibre which stays clean is currently available on Earth. First of all, the Japan Women’s University of Tokyo (partner of JAXA) is selling a hundred pairs of boxer shorts for 10,500 yens per pair (about 90 euros). Then, for a wider distribution, the Japanese clothing company Goldwin is using the same technology for its MaxiFresh Plus range of vests (starting from 21 euros) and boxer shorts (from 14 euros).
The poster for STS-131 mission and that of the film to which it makes an obvious allusion. From left to right, the STS-131 astronauts are: Stephanie Wilson, Rick Mastracchio, James Dutton, Alan Poindexter, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Clay Anderson and Naoko Yamazaki. Credit: NASA/Touchstone Pictures - Bruckheimer Films
In addition to the formal crew photograph, NASA’s astronauts take an active part in the creation of a poster distributed to the numerous ground personnel who are involved in the mission preparation work. As we have explained in previous articles and portfolios, reference is often made to film posters. The 7 who are to blast off on 5 April 2010 aboard Discovery for flight STS-131 have chosen Armageddon. In this 1998 blockbuster, actor Bruce Willis played an oil drilling specialist who boarded one of NASA’s space shuttles in order to be able to dig a hole in an asteroid in which to place a nuclear bomb, thus destroying the asteroid and, at the same time, saving the Earth! The American Space Agency also helped the production teams by allowing them to film in several of its facilities in Florida’s Kennedy Center and Houston’s Johnson Center. However, the STS-131 astronauts are not going to be intercepting any asteroids since they will be taking numerous pieces of scientific equipment to the International Space Station.
Panoramic view of the Cité de l’Espace’s new weather centre. From 2 February to 31 March, this adventure park in Toulouse is offering one free child entry for every adult entry paid for (see conditions on their internet website). Credit: Cité de l’espace
Every day we use space technology that came into being 50 years ago and which has changed drastically. Yes, every day and very often we do not even realise it... What is it? The weather forecast! A little more than 50 years ago, on 17 February 1959 to be exact, the United States launched Vanguard 2, the first weather satellite. By looking at the Earth from space, we hoped to get a global view in order to better observe and understand the movements of the cloud masses and other parameters used for forecasting the weather. Unfortunately, although the idea was good, Vanguard 2 provided very little data due to a technical hitch. And it was the following year, in 1960 (on 1 April but it was no April fool!) that Tiros-1 took over. This time, its 78 days of fruitful observations made it a total success. From forecasting to the climate Today, several weather satellites examine the Earth in the visible, infrared and other light wavelength ranges in order to give meteorologists (and more exactly their computers) a flow of data which is added to the numerous measurements taken on Earth or in the air (balloons and airplanes) in the aim of forecasting the weather for the next day with more and more accuracy. Just think, the European satellite Meteosat 8 sends a weather picture covering the whole of Europe every 5 minutes so that the changes in various parameters can be better followed! The most well-known element of the space system as regards the weather is without doubt the famous map or satellite picture that is used for every television channel weather report. It is so much a part of our every day life that we do not usually think about what is behind it: an industry capable of making satellites, rockets for launching them, operations centres for controlling them, not forgetting the essential engineers and technicians and, of course, the forecasters who interpret the data gathered from Earth orbit. Sign of the times, weather satellites are no longer satisfied with forecasting the weather in the short term. Scientists actually believe that the measurements accumulated over the decades, and those to come, will make it possible to better follow and understand the climate changes that we are noticing. Changes that will modify the face of our planet. Do you realise that sea ice (pack ice) could totally disappear as of the second half of this century.
You can become a TV presenter and forecast tomorrow’s weather in the new weather centre at the Cité de l’Espace. Credit: Cité de l’espace
Present your TV weather report at the Cité de l’Espace Proof of how important this space sector is, the Cité de l’Espace has renewed and enlarged its weather centre. Why? So that everyone, both big and small, can experience the reality of modern meteorology through interactive, fun workshops. Visitors to the Space Park in Toulouse will notably be able to talk to a co-ordinator from Météo-France who will explain satellite images received in real time to them. If you fancy yourself as a TV presenter, there is a studio with camera, blue background and inlaid maps at your disposition so that you can present your weather report like a true professional. “Today, the weather will be sunny in Toulouse”, you will say as you point out the town. But you will find out that it takes a little practise to be able to point to the right place on the map... A good laugh is to be had by all!
The presenters of the French television programme “C’est pas sorcier” on France 3 are celebrating the 15th anniversary of their science popularisation programme. Credit: France 3
Play with France 3 To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the French television programme “C’est pas Sorcier”, France 3 is giving you the chance to win entries to the Cité de l’Espace by means of an on-line quiz game. Should you wish to take part, just follow the link below and register with Club France Télévision (free of charge). Reread this article carefully as it contains the answers to the questions asked.
As we explained in a previous blog, human space flight crew members pose for posters that illustrate their mission in a graphic style that is much more laid-back than NASA’s usual (very serious) technical documents. The purpose is to create a link between the astronauts and the ground staff, whether they work for the American agency or its subcontractors.
Expedition 22 is nicknamed the "Right Pack" in tribute to the "Rat Pack" from the 1960’s. The astronauts are posing in exactly the same way as in this photograph. Credit: NASA/Spaceflight Awareness
Brilliant artwork, references to cinema films, allusions and humour are all brought to the fore. The poster for Expedition 22, currently aboard the Station, chose to pay tribute to the “Rat Pack”. In the 1960’s, this improvised fraternity united the giants of American show business with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford. Posterity has above all retained the first 3 on the list, great singers and actors who knew the honour and glamour of Hollywood celebrities at that time. The reputation of the Rat Pack was such that its members could fill any concert room in Las Vegas at the drop of a hat. And by refusing to perform in hotels and casinos that did not employ Afro-American artists, they also contributed to the combat against segregation! The Rat Pack originally numbered 5 members, and Expedition 22 totals 5 astronauts. From there, the allusion to the famous quintet followed almost naturally. Making a play on words, they called themselves The Right Pack which phonetically speaking is very close to The Rat Pack. You will notice how the design of the text at the bottom resembles the luminous signs that announce the shows in Las Vegas’ casinos, thus giving weight to the allusion. There is no doubt that the Rat Pack of the 1960’s would have proclaimed: That’s entertainment!
A huge box office success, Ice Age 3 follows the fantastic and hilarious adventures of a clan of odd, prehistoric animals: a couple of mammoths (Manny and Ellie), a sabre-toothed tiger (Diego), a sloth (Sid) and two opossums (Crash and Eddie). As incredible as it might seem, the directors have managed to place an obvious allusion to the space industry at the end of this animated film which nevertheless takes place well before the invention of the slightest rocket... Throughout the film, we come back every now and then to the adventures of two squirrels, a male and a female (Scrat and Scratte), who are fighting over an acorn. At the end, both animals find themselves on a rock which is propelled into the air by a volcanic eruption. However, taking a good look at it, from a visual point of view we are in fact watching a rocket lift-off. But you do not have to take our word for it, just take a look for yourself at the pictures taken from the film below.
At the end of Ice Age 3, a rock is thrown up into the sky by a small volcanic eruption. This is an obvious, visual allusion to a rocket lifting off. Credit: Blue Sky Studios / 20th Century Fox
The two squirrels blast off with the rock: what’s more it’s a manned space flight! Credit: Blue Sky Studios / 20th Century Fox
Releasing of the first stage. Credit: Blue Sky Studios / 20th Century Fox
Releasing of the second stage. The separated squirrels then find themselves safe and sound on the ground, but we never see the third stage come back down. Did it perhaps reach orbit? Credit: Blue Sky Studios / 20th Century Fox
It is clear to see that although the rocket does not have any propulsion (it is thrown up like a cannonball), the film animators have, using the heat from the eruption as a pretext, managed to give it a glow around its base and it even leaves a plume of white smoke behind it! This inevitably brings to mind the aesthetics of an American space shuttle flight as seen from a distance. The parallel with astronavigation continues as the rock then breaks up on two occasions, mimicking the successive releasing of the first and second rocket stages. This allusion to the space industry is therefore as successful as it is unexpected.
Ice Age 3 was released on DVD and Blu-Ray (we would mention a remarkable picture quality on this HD medium) at the end of 2009.
Space shuttle Endeavour (STS-127) lifts off on 15 July 2009. Credit: Marie-Ange Sanguy
According to the current space shuttle flight schedule, the last of NASA’s space plane missions is slated for September 2010. There is no doubt that the ultimate blast-off of an STS mission (in this instance STS-133 to the ISS) will attract large numbers of space fans and onlookers as well as ordinary tourists to Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. This turning point in the American human space flight programme will have a significant impact on the State of Florida due to the loss of jobs caused by the stopping of the space shuttles. Moreover, certain eminent politicians from the “sunshine state” are even making a plea in the hope that the American Congress and the White House agree to vote the budgets required for several additional flights in order to lessen what they describe as an economic earthquake.
United Space Alliance (USA) is one of NASA’s major private industrial partners. It was initially founded by Boeing and Lockheed Martin to unite the majority of the supply and service contracts linked to the space shuttle in one economic unit. Sign of the times, this company’s current logo no longer includes a picture of the space plane as it once did. Credit: DR
Considerable indirect consequences are also highlighted as professionals from the tourism industry fear a drop in the number of visitors to the Space Center’s Visitor Complex (the part that is open to the public), and therefore less consumers in the hotels and shops situated along the “space coast”. For the shopkeepers, the stream of people that come to watch a launch results in additional, far from negligible, revenue. An effect that is even felt by the service stations which have excellent takings from their petrol sales on such days! The stopping of the space shuttles will also mean less tax revenue for the State of Florida... Another not so major, but very real consequence is that of the future of the numerous symbols and logos that proudly display the space shuttle. The town of Titusville, close to NASA’s Center, has integrated a space shuttle blasting off into its official logo (opposite). Members of the town council are said to be ready for all eventualities, but are waiting to see what the new symbol of the United States’ flight to the stars might be (the Orion capsule, a future heavy launch vehicle, the next lunar modules?) before making any changes as modifying the official Titusville seal will mean a fairly substantial outlay... Just think of all the different letter headings, signals and panels that will have to be redone! Symbol of the future, the space shuttle is proudly displayed by a variety of shops along the space coast, including one McDonald’s that has a children’s play area containing a dummy space plane.
This full-scale model of the Orion capsule is on show in the Visitor Complex; will it become the new symbol of the future just as the space shuttle once was? Aesthetically speaking, the spacecraft does not have the same appeal as the space plane. Credit: Marie-Ange Sanguy
The Kennedy Center’s Visitor Complex (managed by the Delaware North Companies, a private firm) had even invested 60 million dollars in the Space Shuttle Launch Experience attraction which was opened in 2007. This attraction enables visitors to experience the sensations of a space shuttle blast-off. Given such an investment, this simulation will survive the stopping of the actual space shuttles and will become a historic reminder, tinged with nostalgia.
Due to its 60 million dollar set-up costs, the Shuttle Launch Experience attraction in the Kennedy Space Center’s Visitor Complex will probably not shut down when the space shuttles stop. From an explanation of the latest in the American human space flight programme, it will become a historic reminder. Credit: Marie-Ange Sanguy
A nostalgia that could well be a solution for many, the space shuttle having literally invaded the American everyday way of life. One example is the lorry rental company “U-Haul” which has decorated the majority of its fleet in Florida with logos featuring the space plane. And that is without counting the endless souvenirs and gadgets (pens, T-shirts, models, paperweights, earrings, etc.) still produced and sold in great quantities.
In Florida, the fleet of lorries belonging to the rental company “U-Haul” is decorated with artwork based on the space shuttle. Credit: Olivier Sanguy
Even with the final shutdown of the STS programme (whether it happens in 2010 or a little later if the White House goes along with the principle of a few additional flights), space shuttles will be around for a very long time, changing from the symbol of the future to the status of nostalgia for what we hope will be a better future before finally becoming part of history, a bit like Apollo in its time.
The spaceship from James Cameron’s film is far less fanciful than it appears and even plausibly deals with several problems posed by interstellar travel.
Return to the Moon to take up where, way too soon, Apollo had stopped. Such was the ambition of the Constellation programme on the point of becoming a page in NASA’s history before it has even achieved its objective.
Another not so major, but very real consequence is that of the future of the numerous symbols and logos that proudly display the space shuttle. The town of Titusville, close to NASA’s Center, has integrated a space shuttle blasting off into its official logo (opposite). Members of the town council are said to be ready for all eventualities, but are waiting to see what the new symbol of the United States’ flight to the stars might be (the Orion capsule, a future heavy launch vehicle, the next lunar modules?) before making any changes as modifying the official Titusville seal will mean a fairly substantial outlay... Just think of all the different letter headings, signals and panels that will have to be redone!
