Kessler Syndrome

Kessler Syndrome
Ann Edvartsen
The project explores how to merge by sound wave algorithms into visual images depicting space junk orbiting around earth. To form sound interactive images of the Earth’s defence and space trash with the help of sound.
Media focus today is heavily focused on Earth´s environment, where we gradually take more active measures to limit contamination and plastic consumption. On the contrary we do not have enough restriction on what is being sent into space and how to deal with defective parts. The atmosphere around the Earth is getting more and more polluted, most of the dead satellites and parts dropped off at launches. Our footsteps in nature and space will come to an increasing extent when nobody takes responsibility for cleaning up. People on earth rely on satellites for communication, TV, the Internet, etc., and these satellites are sent up more often for each year. Only 1 of 7 satellites that are in orbit around the orbit are still functional and will need several years to properly burn up in space. When sending rockets into space, the orbiting space trash is monitored and must be able to predict a time where the rocket won’t collide. Measures are being taken to try to bring the garbage to the earth’s atmosphere where it will burn more quickly. But this will take a long time when only part at a time can be cleaned up, and for diplomatic reasons one country is not allowed to clean up after the other.
Sound exists in space in the form of electromagnetic vibrations that are recorded through an astronomical instrument interferometer. The instrument extracts sound from the waves that are possible for humans to hear; 20-20,000Hz.

1. Earths whistler-waves are low frequency electromagnetic waves recorded from the Van Allen probe, presented as a sinewave.
2. Orbital Debris created with FFT readings illustrates orbiting space trash live from recorded sound. Ever changing and rewriting its own image.
3. Van Allen probe recording of Earths electromagnetic belt presented with Fast Fourier Transform (FFT).