Peace on Earth, Peace off Earth, Peace with Earth
Project Background
The original OUR-Space Peace Sculpture was initially conceived and to a large extent developed in the period of 1987 to 1991. It was an integral part of the technology development program for the O.U.R.S. - the Orbiting Unification Ring Satellite project which had the goal to create a visible “circle in the sky” to celebrate the new millennium in the year 2000 with an orbital sculpture approximately one km in diameter.
A technology referred to as Inflatable Space Rigidized Structures (ISRS) was under development by the European Space Agency at Contraves AG in Zurich, Switzerland. During their development program, a 6-m diameter test object was built in the shape of a torus. Conceived as a technological precursor for the larger O.U.R.S., the OUR-Space Peace Sculpture (OUR-SPS)was proposed to celebrate the 1992 International Space Year (ISY). Contraves agreed to support the project at that time. Subsequently proposals for spaceflight were sent to NASA and to the former U.S.S.R. Due to the backlog resulting from the Challenger failure, NASA was no longer accepting “non-scientific” payloads on the US orbiter. However, in 1987 the former Soviet Union began opening its space program to Western participation.
At the space commercial trade fair Space Commerce’88 held in Montreux, Switzerland a “Letter of Intent” was signed with the Soviet space agent Glavkosmos for the spaceflight and deployment of the OUR-SPS from the Mir space station. Publicity and fundraising activities commenced in order to meet the 1992 ISY window of opportunity. Unfortunately, even though a spaceflight agreement had been secured for an OUR-SPS utilizing ISRS technology, Contraves AG withdrew its support for the project and consequently, from the opportunity to demonstrate its technology in space. (1)
Contraves AG – 6m ISRS Torus, 1987
At this point, with much enthusiasm for the continuation of the project, the Soviet space company NPO Energia offered to construct the OUR-SPS utilizing an inflatable technology previously tested by them in space for the deployment of two circular antennas, each 20m in diameter.
Inflatable antennae deployment on Progress-28, 1984
OUR-SPS full size model constructed by NPO Energia 1990
NPO Energia full sized OUR-SPS at Space Commerce'90 Montreux, Switzerland
Concept diagram of OUR-SPS deployment from Mir station by NPO Energia
In addition, the deployment sequence included the participation of a cosmonaut outside of the Mir space station and a live video transmission of the deployment to stations on the ground. A full size OUR-SPS object (6-m in dia.) was constructed by NPO Energia and delivered to the OURS Foundation at Space Commerce’90, held again in Montreux, Switzerland where it was inflated on-site and displayed during the trade fair. Project development and fundraising resumed until the summer of 1991 when the government of the Soviet Union collapsed. Due to the uncertainties associated with this development, sponsor support for the 1992 ISY opportunity was withdrawn and the OUR-SPS project was postponed which consequently impacted the program for the realization of the larger O.UR.S. intended for the year 2000. (2)
Click this link for a more detailed history of the O.U.R.S. and OUR-SPS projects.
However, in the following years, the OURS project organizers realized two pioneering space cultural projects on the Mir space station – the Cosmic Dancer sculpture in 1993 (3) and, in 1995, Ars Ad Astra: the 1st Art Exhibition in Earth Orbit on the Mir station, the latter a cooperation with the Europen Space Agency (ESA) during its Euromir95 mission and with sponsor support from the Swiss companies OMEGA and LASCAUX. (4) Both projects received substantial publicity (Swiss and German television, CNN, etc.) and have been included – along with the OUR-SPS - in important international space and art exhibitions in Europe, the US and in Canada. (5)
Click this link for a detailed description of the Cosmic Dancer and Ars Ad Astra projects.
- 1989 Arthur R. Woods & Marco C. Bernasconi, The OUR-Space Peace Sculpture: Introducing a Cultural Dimension Into the Space Environment.- Paper IAA-89-673 presented to the 40th IAF Congress, Torremolinos, Spain. October 7-13.
- 1990 Arthur R. Woods & Marco C. Bernasconi, The Orbiting Unification Ring-Space Peace Sculptures: Progress Report on Global Art In Space, - Paper IAA-90-652 presented to the 41st IAF Congress, Dresden, Germany. October 6-12. Published in LEONARDO 24, [5] pp. 601-606
- The Cosmic Dancer: http://www.cosmicdancer.com
- Ars Ad Astra: The 1st Art Exhibition in Earth Orbit: http://www.arsadastra.com
- Free Enterprise: The Art of Citizen Space Exploration - the first contemporary art exhibition in the U.S. to present an international array of artists and organizations who are exploring the potential democratization of space exploration and the intersection between artistic production and civilian space travel.
http://sites.artsblock.ucr.edu/free-enterprise/arthur-woods/
