Michael Najjar

20 October, 2013

Michael returns to Star City for Cosmonaut Training

Photos © thomas rusch

Michael once more returned to Star City to continue his cosmonaut training, this time taking a parabolic flight in a Russian Ilyushin II-76. The zero or microgravity of space is simulated by flying a series of parabolic flight maneuvers that counter the forces of gravity and allow astronauts and cosmonauts to learn how to perform tasks in conditions of zero gravity.

German scientists Fritz and Heinz Haber invented the parabolic flight in 1950, and over the past 50 years, aircraft flying parabolic trajectories have been an important stepping stone in space exploration and research. The trajectory starts with a climb, and halfway through it, lift and thrust are reduced to produce approximately 25 seconds of 0 g. During the 0 g phase, the plane reaches a plateau and begins to descend.

A state of weightlessness is something humans experience during every space flight. It means that the body has to operate in a completely different environment to the constant gravitational world in which it evolved. So research into the effects of microgravity on the human body is vital for sustaining humans in long-duration spaceflight, especially when they have to perform taxing operational tasks. What's more, some research in physics and chemistry, such as the study of fluid mechanics applied to fuel flow in spacecraft, can only be performed in conditions of microgravity. Ever since space exploration first began, only a few hundred people have had the privilege of experiencing the literally out of this world feeling of floating in total weightlessness.

Michael's zero-g training was part of the preparation for his upcoming spaceflight with Virgin Galactic. He was especially keen to learn how to handle his camera in conditions of weightlessness. On this trip Michael was again accompanied by the renowned German photographer Thomas Rusch who shot photo and video footage during the flight.

Special thanks to Andreas Bergweiler from Space Affairs who organized the training.
www.space-affairs.com

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"orbital ascent" at attocube, Germany

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Solo presentation at Paris Photo

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Residency at Shanghai Museum of Glass

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Lecture Astronomy Museum Shanghai

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Exhibition "A Constant State of Transformation", Melbourne

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Podcast "FotoPsychoLogisch"

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Symposium "Enter the Future"

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Exhibition at Caixa Forum, Madrid

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Exhibition at ArtScience Museum, Singapore

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"orbital ascent" special edition

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Exhibition at BANK Gallery, Shanghai

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Podcast "Fotografie neu denken"

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Michael shoots at ITER Fusion Ractor in France

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Nanjing Artfair, China

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Wired UK magazine

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Ars Electronica Festival - Who owns the truth?

Final test flight of Spaceship Unity

Civilization exhibition at Saatchi Gallery, London

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New artwork "starbase II"

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ART SG Singapore

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"cool earth" exhibition at Studio la Città Gallery

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Screening at COP27

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Lecture at Deutsche Museum München

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CIVILIZATION exhibition at Museo San Domenico

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Frieze Seoul

Arctic expedition

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New series "cool earth"

New Artwork "starbase"

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New artwork "down to earth"

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New book "outer space v2"

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Exhibition at Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg

Historic Spaceflight of VSS Unity

"Overview Effect" exhibition at Museum for Contemporary Art, Belgrade

Solo Exhibition "outer space" in Beijing

National Air and Space Museum aquires 3 artworks for permanent collection

22 January, 2021

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

05 December, 2020

"outer space | portfolio box 2020" is now available

07 October, 2020

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

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"FUTURO" exhibition at Galleri d'Italia, Vincenza

12 September, 2020

"Space Works" exhibition at Tampere Art Museum, Finland

10 August, 2020

"CIVILIZATION" at Auckland Art Gallery, New Zealand

05 August, 2020

New artwork "crew dragon"

Large scale mural "lunar explorers"

skype interview with curator Benjamin Weil

New artwork "ascension"

06 February, 2020

"terraforming" video on view at Studio National des Arts Contemporains

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VSS Unity spaceship transferred to Spaceport America

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new artwork "space renaissance"

19 November, 2019

Video interview on "outer space"

20 October, 2019

"Beyond the Horizon" - exhibition at Wittenstein Innovation Factory

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"outer space" exhibition opens in Shanghai

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"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

08 February, 2019

Lecture at the European Space Research and Technology Center

30 January, 2019

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

14 December, 2018

VSS Unity - Welcome to Space !

30 October, 2018

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

10 September, 2018

Shooting at European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC)

New artwork "orbital outpost"

Exhibition at Bank/MABSociety Gallery in Shanghai

Virgin Galactic completes first rocket-powered test flight of VSS UNITY spaceship

26 February, 2018

Michael takes pictures in an active volcano in New Zealand

11 January, 2018

New book publication „Planetary Echoes - Exploring the Implications of Human Settlement in Outer Space

05 January, 2018

Michael portrays the world´s biggest artificial sun

20 November, 2017

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02 October, 2017

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20 September, 2017

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Panel discussion on occasion of the exhibition “Planetary Echoes“

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UK Business Traveller Magazine features “Space Suite“ on the cover

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Photo- and video shooting in Iceland

12 January, 2017

Michael portrays future Mars robot „Valkyrie“ at Edinburgh Centre for Robotics

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Michael takes pictures of Arianespace VA233 milestone mission

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05 October, 2016

Exhibition at Reggio Emilia / Palazzo da Mosta

22 September, 2016

Michael visits the new SpaceShipTwo at SpaceShipCompany in the Mojave desert.

12 September, 2016

„Space Suite“ shortlisted for European Hotel Award

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“space garden“ at museum Marta Herford

„outer space“ exhibition opens in New York

VA229 Mission successful launched into space

20 February, 2016

Virgin Galactic unveils new spaceship 16 months after fatal crash

17 February, 2016

Michael has arrived at Guiana Space Center

13 November, 2015

Michael inaugurates solo exhibition „outer space“ at Kunstverein Oldenburg, Germany

31 October, 2015

Exo-Evolution Exhibition at ZKM Museum, Karlsruhe

13 October, 2015

Michael took pictures at :envihab - Future Research Center for Space and Earth

07 October, 2015

Michael opens the world´s first Space Suite in Zurich

24 September, 2015

Studio La Città presents Michael´s solo show "outer space“

21 September, 2015

Michael completed basic suborbital space training program at NASTAR

08 September, 2015

Michael Najjar – one of the first test persons to perform jump and vibration training on the next generation DLR centrifuge

Solo exhibition at Museo Es Baluard, Palma, Spain

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Exhibition at Galería Juan Silió, Santander, Spain

New artwork related to the SpaceshipTwo Crash

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Article in The Wall Street Journal

15 January, 2015

MISSION:SPACE - Documentary Film Preview

12 January, 2015

Michael Najjar exhibits at Peter Kilchmann Gallery, Zurich

12 December, 2014

Michael participates at Kochi-Muziris Biennale, India

06 November, 2014

"Michael Najjar - outer space book published - Introduction essay by Buzz Aldrin

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SpaceshipTwo crashes during testflight

15 October, 2014

"outer space" presented in Parabol Art Magazine Curated issue by Peter Weibel (Director ZKM)

04 October, 2014

Michael photographs the Eden Project

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HALO Jump - video documentation

02 September, 2014

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Article in Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin

20 January, 2014

Arte TV features Michael´s working at ALMA

08 January, 2014

Article in Greenpeace Magazine, Germany

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Michael has done a photoshooting at the Atacama desert

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Michael photographs at JPL cleanroom

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michael takes a dose of centrifugal training

michael takes a dose of centrifugal training

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"spacewalk" - first video work from the series

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michael najjar starts collaboration with hasselblad

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michael najjar completes first phase of cosmonaut training

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michael najjar photographs "short arm centrifuge (sahc)" at the german aerospace center.

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28 February, 2012

norman foster views the new work

23 February, 2012

article on wallpaper magazine

13 February, 2012

first work from the new series

05 November, 2011

"first artist in space" - interview on artnet

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michael najjar meets richard branson

20 September, 2011

historic final mission

15 September, 2011

new series "outer space"