orbital launch mount

2024

Format 1: 132 x 202 cm / 52 x 79.5 in, edition of 6 + 2 AP
Format 2: 67 x 102 cm / 26.3 x 40.2 in, edition of 6 + 2 AP
Hybrid photography, archival pigment print, aludibond, diasec, custom-made aluminium frame

SpaceX's Starship is set to revolutionize space travel and pave the way for future interplanetary missions. The specially constructed launch table, on which the Starship is launched, is a masterpiece of engineering. It is made of high-strength steel and other extremely resilient materials capable of withstanding the enormous mechanical and thermal stresses generated by the ignition of the powerful Raptor engines. The construction is equipped with complex refueling systems that pump both liquid methane and liquid oxygen into the fuel tanks of the Super Heavy Booster and the Starship. The launch table stands an incredible 25 meters tall. This height is necessary to ensure that the hot exhaust gases from the engines can be safely and effectively diverted without damaging the launch table itself or the surrounding infrastructure. Additionally, this height allows for the safe integration and maintenance of the rocket before launch, including fueling and final checks. The table is designed to be quickly maintained and reused after each launch. This is crucial for SpaceX's goal of enabling frequent and cost-effective launches. The modular design of the launch table allows damaged parts to be quickly replaced, preparing the system swiftly for the next launch. Upon ignition, the 33 Raptor engines of the Super Heavy Booster generate a colossal thrust of up to 75,000 tons and temperatures exceeding 3,000 degrees Celsius. A fiery inferno that the launch table must withstand.

The artwork “orbital launch mount” captures the moment of ignition during the Starship launch system. A scene of overwhelming power and dynamism. The engines unleash a massive front of flames, glowing with an intense, almost otherworldly light, seemingly engulfing the launch table. The flames from the Raptor engines twist in an infernal dance around the launch table, a manifestation of the immense power and energy released at this moment. Dark, angular structures are silhouetted against the flames. A fascinating interplay of stability and dynamism, coolness and heat, solidity and movement. The visual tension of the image is generated by the strong contrast between static and motion. The viewer can almost feel the heat and vibrations produced by the ignition – the image itself seems to vibrate. Invisible, however, is the actual trigger of this energetic moment, the Starship. The round point on the central column adds a deeper symbolic layer to the scene, embodying SpaceX's ultimate mission goal: Mars. In the overall composition of the image, the integration of Mars creates a balance between the elements. While the columns embody strength and permanence and the flames represent movement and energy, Mars symbolizes the goal that unites these two forces. It is the link that connects technical progress and scientific curiosity, a symbol of humanity's future in space. Not just a distant point in the sky, but an achievable goal, a new horizon for human civilization.

Imprint

Personally liable:
Michael Najjar

Design concept & coding: Matthias Hübner, possible.is
with support by Marco Land

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