Tags: LightSquared, Spectrum, FCC, NOAA
Publication: Space.com
Publication Date: 11/20/2012

The archival disc created by artist Trevor Paglen will orbit the earth for billions of years affixed to the exterior of the communications satellite EchoStar XVI launched on November 21, 2012. Image credit: Creative Time

The 76th ILS Proton launch on Wednesday, Nov 21 flew to space not only the Echostar XVI communications satellite, but also the collection of images compiled by artist Trevor Paglen. After five years assembling “The Last Pictures” collection and working the technicalities of sending it to space, Paglen’s work will probably be orbiting the Earth for billions of years.

Paglen’s interest in space got him to the realization that GEO orbits essentially never decay so even when the spacecraft cease to work, it keeps on circling our planet. He perceives satellites as “monuments to the historical moment they emerged from.” This inspired him to create “The Last Pictures,” with the objective of leaving a long-lasting evidence of how life on Earth was like.

After speaking to more than 40 artists, scientists, space engineers and philosophers, Paglen selected 100 images for his project. He focused on the paradoxes and contradictions of human life.

An artist-in-residence at the MIT in Boston, Paglen worked with scientists from this institute and from the Carleton College in Minnesota who helped him design a system that would allow the images to last for billions of years. They ultimately came up with the idea of using nanofabrication techniques that would do just that.

As for the audience for “The Last Pictures,” some say it will be found once humans find a way to clean up space debris, while others say it won’t be found for millions of years or even that it will never be found, as Paglen himself thinks.

Paglen also published a book with the same name containing the images he selected and a series of essays about the project and the questions it raises.

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