For
MoDiP’s latest collaborative
exhibition with TheGallery, we thought it would
be interesting to celebrate the theme of space given that 2021 marks both
the 30th anniversary of the first ever British person to enter space
and the 5th anniversary of the first ever British spacewalk. We
started organising objects and writing text last October with the intention of
a January launch (excuse the pun), but Covid-19 lockdown delays meant that the
exhibition didn’t actually go up until March. It is currently on display in the
Northwest Gallery Entrance of the North Building at AUB, running until
18/06/21.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkCDd0aB-Xw1iw7125BSSQWEX1gyWeDi9DsJp2ejSDk_VDev7PhIvebhC2hnaVuJvLQhWpZQXNdz3AakX8apdoX3lKFFTEUj89sY0r6nUSzl351Vv-HdEx9e-YXTeEohIb0mi6qqjeEQ/w400-h241/space.jpg) |
Image ref: Exhibition space Image credit: Louise Dennis
|
Plastics
have played a key role in the advancement of space exploration. For example, the
spacesuits worn for the 1960s Apollo moon landings were comprised of some 21
different synthetic materials in various complex layers. They included a nylon
tricot inner suit, a polycarbonate helmet, PVC tubing as well as silicone
coatings on the gloves, Spandex, Dacron, Neoprene, Kevlar, Nomex, Mylar…..
But collecting such plastics
is not easy. Firstly, the technology is very expensive to buy: the Science
Museum was only able to acquire Helen Sharman’s spacesuit in 2006 with the
assistance of a £35,000 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Secondly, availability
is limited: having invested heavily in the development of their spacesuits,
organisations like NASA usually want to keep hold of them and maintain them for
reuse. Thirdly, all of these plastics come with significant collections
care issues: Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit was only recently put back on display at the Smithsonian National Air and
Space Museum after 13 years’ conservation work, made possible with a campaign that raised more than $500,000.
So, if this
technology is beyond MoDiP’s reach, how can we actually collect on the theme of
space? The objects we included in our collaborative exhibition were domestic in
nature and evoked the subject, suggesting how the museum’s objects can be used
as a source of inspiration. But we do have space-related objects, those that use
technology that was specifically designed for this most hostile of environments
but which has now filtered down into the everyday.
Officially
termed spinoff, examples of plastics products in the collection that have derived
from NASA technology include a memory foam pillow (AIBDC
: 006225 - memory
foam was developed for cushioning aircraft seats), a space blanket (AIBDC : 008554 - used for thermal control on the exterior
surfaces of spacecraft), a swimsuit (not yet catalogued - NASA tested
the design and materials for surface
friction drag) and a pair of socks
(AIBDC : 005879 – containing phase change
technology that assists astronauts in keeping comfortable and cool).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEh95GwV-7w0BSU0IpUbex4EGnEpRNZZ0L4QfzF-3gYJvAAy6diGy3EhvkJGtmdstQuA9F9PqZNXlkAHls7JOMfWZl54Uz9U0yxWjx-qy8xLJUlNjWsIpCMxUxAiIrIsy4XoCLO3vj3Rw/s320/4.jpg) |
Image
ref: MoDiP objects that contain technology developed by NASA.
Image credit: MoDiP
|
Since
1976,
NASA has published over 2,000 other spinoffs in the fields of computer
technology, environment and agriculture, health and medicine, public safety,
transportation, recreation, and industrial productivity. MoDiP will keep collecting in this area as new commercial
innovations become available but in the meantime, if anyone has a spacesuit
they would like to donate, please let us know!
Katherine Pell
Collections Officer
References:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.