SPACE WASTE LAB is the living lab of space experts at ESA (the European Space Agency) and Studio Roosegaarde’s team to give new perspectives on the current 8.1 million kilos of space waste. More than 2000 students have participated in an accompanying educational programme.
SPACE WASTE LAB PERFORMANCE is a unique large-scale outdoor artwork of green LED beams and real-time tracking information to visualize space waste above your head at an altitude of 200 to 20.000 kilometers. A real piece of space waste is part of the outside exhibition. Designed software and recently developed camera technology enables the SPACE WASTE LAB PERFORMANCE to be exhibited internationally, in compliance with strict safety and aviation regulations.
SPACE WASTE LAB has a focus on upcyling space waste such as creating Shooting Stars from captured space waste in 2025, 3D-printing of moon habitats, and a gigantic sun reflector to reduce climate change.
Daan Roosegaarde: "We need to look at space in a better way. What is space waste, how can we fix it, and what is its potential? Space waste is the smog of our universe."
ESA Director of Technology, Engineering and Quality Franco Ongaro about SPACE WASTE LAB: “I’m a strong believer in cooperation between technologists and artists. We believe in what we do as a service to society, but we are often unable to communicate its worth effectively enough. Artists not only communicate vision and feelings to the public, but help us discover aspects of our work which we are often unable to perceive. This cooperation is all the more important when dealing with issues like space debris, which may one day impact our future, and our ability to draw maximum benefits from space. We need to speak in different ways, to convey not just the dry technological aspect of technology, but the emotions involved in the struggle to preserve this environment for future generations.”
Watch the Dutch VPRO Tegenlicht trailer, the full VPRO Tegenlicht documentary, or the lecture by Daan Roosegaarde at World Economic Forum with the Minister of State for Advanced Sciences of the UAE Sarah AI Amiri and CEO Airbus Dirk Hoke about SPACE WASTE LAB.
SPACE WASTE LAB is a part of Roosegaarde's larger vision for Schoonheid, a Dutch word meaning both beauty and cleanliness, as in clean space, clean air, clean water, clean energy. Schoonheid is an activator for change, for citizens, makers, NGOs and governments to value and empower Schoonheid as a creative force to make clean environments.
Want to support the project? Make a donation to our foundation Stichting Roosegaarde at NL05 INGB 0006 5678 97, SWIFT code INGBNL2A.
