Intrepid Museum and Cornell Engineering Present POSTCARDS FROM EARTH: Holograms On An Interstellar Journey

The Intrepid Museum and Cornell Engineering has announced the temporary exhibit, Postcards from Earth: Holograms on an Interstellar Journey, opening to the public at the Intrepid Museum on Thursday, February 16.

This compelling new exhibit highlights an experiment that investigates unique materials and approaches to develop a vehicle capable of reaching another star system at speeds never thought to be achievable. Rather than rockets or traditional spacecraft, the vehicles are a fleet of one thousand laser-propelled light sails, each adorned with shimmering holograms.

Holograms, the kind seen on passports and trading cards, may help stabilize the sail on its 40-trillion-mile trip. But they may also serve as carriers of artwork, images of life on Earth, to greet any beings that live on distant worlds. The prototypes in the exhibit represent a real space mission launching sometime this year on Alpha CubeSat, a project of the Space Systems Design in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell.

Alpha CubeSat will carry the first pieces of holographic art in space above its solar panels. Tilting your head from side to side often reveals different images, which allows for much more information than would be possible in a single flat picture.

On a mission to Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system, each sail could have a hologram with thousands of pictures - artwork, photos, and maybe even a map to Earth-it would be like sending a postcard to a distant star. By proving the sails can function in space, Alpha CubeSat hopes to pave the way for holograms on light sails, holograms that carry images of our home into the cosmos.

This thought experiment was created collaboratively by scientists and artists, driven by deep curiosity to discover the unknown. It imagines that life may exist in another world.

"As an institution dedicated to STEM education and inspiring the next generation of leaders, we are thrilled to showcase an exciting, thought-provoking experiment combining art with extraordinary achievements in space science," said Museum SVP, Exhibits, Education & Programs, Elaine Charnov. "The imagery is simply captivating; the technology is awe-inspiring."

"We are looking forward to this exciting exhibit, which I hope inspires wonder and excitement about both the technological progress we have made here on Earth and continued exploration elsewhere in the universe," said Mason Peck, the Stephen J. Fujikawa '77 Professor of Astronautical Engineering at Cornell. "This mission builds on a legacy deeply tied to Cornell, going back to Carl Sagan's Pioneer Plaque and the Voyager Golden Record. This pioneering exhibition of holography in space aims to be a reflection of humanity, and of all Earth-based life, as we venture out into the Cosmos."

Postcards from Earth: Holograms on an Interstellar Journey is free with Museum admission. For more information, visit intrepidmuseum.org/postcards-from-earth