Situation:

More objects are being launched into space than ever, resulting in more trash in space than ever, which threatens the critical infrastructure that we all depend on, from communication to food production, and more. There are no legally binding international treaties that can enforce the cleanup of space debris. So, there is an urgent need for the world to come together to effect change.

But people don’t understand the danger because space debris is not visible from Earth.

Objective:

To rally humankind against this problem.

Space Trash Signs — the first constellations made from space debris. An AI model was used to scan debris data to identify ten new constellations, each one representing a different impact of space pollution. For example: The

Broken Compass signifies the loss of navigation services; The Lost Harvest, visualized as a dying plant, stands for the loss of environmental data; The End of Discovery, in the shape of a stop sign, represents the end of space exploration.

Data gathering:

Privateer aggregates over 800 million data points about space objects from public and private sources. For each piece of debris, they record information including the source object, position, speed, path, and even the estimated cost of removal.

Data interpretation:

The goal was to reach people worldwide, of all age groups, who have no technical background in aerospace or astronomy. Since the beginning of time, humans have looked up to the sky for meaning, and this act led to the formation of constellations as a way of understanding stars. Expanding on this insight to make complex data accessible, space debris was turned into constellations.

Targeting:

The constellations were also contextually placed in different apps and websites which depend on space infrastructure. This gave users a glimpse into the future of space pollution while drawing their attention to the topic. For example: apps for delivery, weather, financial services, and more.

Approach:

Since the beginning of time, humans have looked up to the sky for meaning, and this act led to the formation of constellations as a way of understanding stars. Expanding on this insight, space debris was turned into constellations, with each symbol simplifying the various consequences of space pollution.

To reach as many people as possible, the constellations were showcased as a digital experience. Further, the constellations were integrated into AR stargazing apps and planetariums as a way of disrupting touchpoints which are primarily used to educate about space.

Implementation:

An AI model was used to scan millions of data points based on shape, source object, and location. For example, to build The Broken Compass, the model was restricted to locating debris pieces from defunct navigation satellites over the Bermuda Triangle. The process resulted in many potential clusters out of which the most suitable one was chosen. The constellations were named according to the nomenclature used by the International Astronomical Union. Abstract symbols were selected based on their canonical quality.

Design:

Styled like star-based constellations, each sign is made of line segments joined by geometric shapes. Inspired by space monitoring, the bounding boxes from the object detection process were retained. All solids are made of point clouds, to resemble litter. The typeface KMR Apparat was rendered with p5js to create Constellation type.

Scale & Placement:

Space Trash Signs were brought to life through a web-based virtual observatory, AR, and planetarium experiences worldwide. Campaign was promoted through contextual placements in websites and apps that would be affected by space pollution. For example: apps for delivery, weather, financial services, and more.

Timeline:

The constellations were identified from January – December 2023. Partnerships with planetariums and AR stargazing apps were secured, coinciding with the launch before the UNCOPUOS session in spring 2024.

With over 300 million media impressions, over 500,000 unique site visitors, and presence in 700 planetariums, Space Trash Signs increased sign-ups for the ESA Zero Debris Charter by 2300%, in time for the critical UN meeting on space pollution in spring 2024. Space Trash Signs were recognized by the global astronomical society Astronomers Without Borders, while gaining widespread support from sustainable aerospace actors including the European Space Agency, Astroscale from Japan & UK, OKAPI:Orbits from Germany, Dark from France, and Digantara from India.