Michael Najjar

06 December, 2021

Michael visits STARBASE

In late November 2021 Michael visited SpaceX´s STARBASE in Bocca Chica, Texas. This is the next generation rocket production facility, test site, and spaceport constructed by SpaceX. The launch site has been the main production and testing site of the Starship/Super Heavy system.

There is currently a lot of construction work going on on the launchpad as the first orbital flight of Starship SN20 from Starbase to Hawaii is scheduled for January 2022. Starship SN 20 was on the launch pad during Michael´s visit along with 2 Super Heavy boosters and the new mount and catch tower. The gigantic structure which Elon Musk nicknamed "Mechazilla", is now completed and stands about 145 m (440 ft) tall. The teams can now undergo the process of outfitting the tower with large actuator arms, hydraulic systems, fuel lines, and other components. The tower’s primary purpose is to assemble and to the catch in mid air. The returning booster and maybe even the Starship itself when returning from space. This sounds like pure Science Fiction and has never been tried before. Ultimately, though, SpaceX’s unprecedented Starship launch/catch tower will remain a mystery until it’s fully assembled and in active use. Starship is a fully reusable launch system in which consists of a first stage named Super Heavy and a second stage named Starship. Both stages are made from stainless steel and designed to hold liquid oxygen and liquid methane. Before launch, a specialized tower stacks Starship's stages and launch pad to mount the vehicle. Starship can send more than 100 metric tons (220,000 lb) to low Earth orbit; higher Earth and other orbits are accessible after being refueled by tanker Starships. Future Starship variants will be able to land on the Moon and Mars.

Michael visits STARBASE

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new artwork "arctic streams"

Exhibition views Fotografiska Stockholm

Solo presentation at Paris Photo

Exhibition at Fotografiska Stockholm

Residency at Shanghai Museum of Glass

Lecture Astronomy Museum Shanghai

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ARCO Madrid

Exhibition "A Constant State of Transformation", Melbourne

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Symposium "Enter the Future"

Exhibition at Caixa Forum, Madrid

Exhibition at ArtScience Museum, Singapore

"orbital ascent" special edition

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Podcast "Fotografie neu denken"

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Nanjing Artfair, China

Wired UK magazine

Ars Electronica Festival - Who owns the truth?

Final test flight of Spaceship Unity

Civilization exhibition at Saatchi Gallery, London

Michael at the Starbase

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ART SG Singapore

"cool earth" exhibition at Studio la Città Gallery

Screening at COP27

Lecture at Deutsche Museum München

CIVILIZATION exhibition at Museo San Domenico

Frieze Seoul

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Solo Exhibition "outer space" in Beijing

National Air and Space Museum aquires 3 artworks for permanent collection

New publication "Space is the Place - Current Reflections on Art and Architecture"

"outer space | portfolio box 2020" is now available

"New Classics of Mountains and Seas" Exhibition at Zhejiang Museum, China

"FUTURO" exhibition at Galleri d'Italia, Vincenza

"Space Works" exhibition at Tampere Art Museum, Finland

"CIVILIZATION" at Auckland Art Gallery, New Zealand

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skype interview with curator Benjamin Weil

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VSS Unity spaceship transferred to Spaceport America

new artwork "space renaissance"

Video interview on "outer space"

"Beyond the Horizon" - exhibition at Wittenstein Innovation Factory

"outer space" exhibition opens in Shanghai

"terraforming" exhibition at Galería Juan Silio, Spain

New artwork "lunar explorers"

Photo shooting at CERN

new artwork "ignition"

"intergalactic" exhibition at BNKR in Munich

SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch

Shooting of Soyuz rocket launch in French Guiana

CIVILIZATION exhibition opened at the UCCA Beijing

Lecture at the European Space Research and Technology Center

A Bright Future - New Scientist magazine publicates the artwork "synlight"

VSS Unity - Welcome to Space !

Opening of the epic landmark exhibition „CIVILIZATION“ at Museum MCA, Seoul, South Korea

Shooting at European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC)