Space Waste Lab | Studio Roosegaarde

Space Waste Lab

The living lab with the European Space Agency to visualise, capture, and upcycle space waste into sustainable experiences.

Space Waste Lab

Space Waste Lab

Right now there are more than 29.000 objects larger than 10 centimeters floating around the earth. It is space waste; parts of broken rockets and satellites. This waste can damage current satellites, with collisions creating more space waste and disturbing digital communications. And nobody really knows how to fix it.

SPACE WASTE LAB is the multi-year living lab with the European Space Agency and Studio Roosegaarde to visualise, capture, and upcycle space waste into sustainable experiences. SPACE WASTE LAB is exhibited in the Netherlands and Italy to raise awareness about space waste, and think about new solutions. The SPACE WASTE LAB PERFORMANCE visualises the space waste above your head in real-time with large green beams of light.

Our current research solution is creating artificial Shooting Stars from captured space waste in 2025. We are on a mission for clean space.

Winner of World OMOSIROI Award in Japan and Gold Award Future Mars Life competition in China.

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.

Space debris is used to form a giant solar reflector to reduce the effects of climate change.
Space debris is used to form a giant solar reflector to reduce the effects of climate change.

Specifications:

The SPACE WASTE LAB exhibition was exhibited at Kunstlinie KAF in Almere, the Netherlands and in Milan Italy in 2019. The SPACE WASTE LAB consists of an education, films, talks and exhibition programme covering the wider context of space waste. You can listen to the SPACE WASTE LAB RADIO here.

Clients:

ESA is supporting knowledge partner. The first SPACE WASTE LAB was at Kunstlinie Almere Flevoland (KAF) which is the cultural hot spot in Almere where all disciplines such as theatre, architecture, music or dance are represented.

Awards:

Winner of World OMOSIROI Award in Japan and Gold Award Future Mars Life competition in China.

Space Waste Lab
Space Waste Lab
Space Waste Lab podcast at Monocle
Space Waste Lab podcast at Monocle
Lecture 4GAMECHANGERS Vienna
Lecture 4GAMECHANGERS Vienna
Join us in the live lecture by Daan Roosegaarde at 4GAMECHANGERS Festival in Vienna about outer space, peace and worlds far away. The panel of astronauts and artists asks itself the question: What impact does outer space have on humans and to what extent is outer space already integrated into our lives?