Reaching for the Humanity in the Stars
“A ragtag group of independent scientists, engineers, and artists band together to live in prototype space colonies. They grapple with all the challenges and isolation faced by astronauts as they test complex systems here on Earth so that humanity can learn to live among the stars.”
It sounds like a movie pitch, but it’s all true. These Analog Astronauts are truly driven to expand our understanding of human space exploration. I’ve rarely met a more amazingly diverse, intelligent, and dedicated group of individuals passionately chasing their dreams. More than that, though… their dreams are fueling our future reality.
As tightly-knit as the community is, they’re physically distributed all over the globe. They’re engineers, scientists, students, educators, and artists working at universities, aerospace companies, research labs, and everywhere else you can imagine. They remain in contact online, bumping into each other at related conferences, or occasionally sharing an Analog Mission together. For the first time, they gathered together in Arizona for 3 days of presentations and working sessions where they could share and celebrate their accomplishments.
I’m thrilled that Cosmic Perspective was able to help support the amazing event. It was as if everything in the solar system aligned so that we were able to step up as the title sponsor. And even more than that, we were able to introduce them to Annu’s unique blend of music, storytelling, and science. On the opening night of the conference, we presented the North American debut of her new show, “Humanity in the Stars.”
The planetary alignment began back in January when Dr. Sian Proctor (scientist, educator, artist, and astronaut) introduced me to the Analog Astronaut Community. She and Jas Purewal founded the community and brought them together for a conference last year (though it had to be virtual). When I expressed my interest in learning more about what they’re up to, Sian reminded me that I already knew an analog astronaut: MaryLiz Bender, co-founder of Cosmic Perspective. She was a member of HI-SEAS Volaria Mission I, where she began composing some of the music that would fold into the burgeoning work of Annu.
Then Sian told me about their upcoming conference. This time around the sun, with travel opening back up, the Analog Astronauts would be meeting in person. And the roster of sessions was nothing short of extraordinary, including keynote presentations by Frank White, author of “The Overview Effect”, along with astronauts Nicole Stott and Sian. Tim Ellis and Richelle Gribble were also teed up to give a tag-team talk about how art infuses the work at Relativity Space. But beyond the star power, there were incredible sessions on the agenda spanning the gamut such as lessons learned from previous experiments, to analog space suit design, and calls to apply for upcoming missions.
And when I heard it was to be held at Biosphere 2 in Arizona, the conjunction came into further alignment. There was no way I was going to miss the event, so I immediately registered and booked my trip (and I dragged my 15 y/o son along for the experience).
For context, the last time I visited Biosphere 2 was in 1993 while I was collecting data at Kitt Peak Observatory for my astronomy thesis. It was toward the end of the first Biosphere 2 mission, and we were only allowed to look in at the crew, as we dreamed what it’d be like on the other side of the glass. Hearing that the Analog Astronaut Conference would be held there, with sessions taking place within Biosphere 2 itself. Well, I couldn’t sign up fast enough to attend the conference.
Those who know me will likely agree… I don’t go in for half measures. Now that I’d decided to attend the conference, I wasn’t just going to sit quietly in the audience taking notes. I began looking into how I could actively participate and contribute. It was through a series of conversations with Sian, Jas, and MaryLiz that I found a way to support the community that aligned perfectly with my role as Executive Producer for Cosmic Perspective.
MaryLiz, performing as Annu, had just returned from being an artist in residence for Habitas:AlUla, where she developed the music for “Humanity in the Stars.” And it was clear as a spiral galaxy seen from Hubble… her show aligned perfectly with this year’s conference theme: “Learning from Space to Improve Earth and Humanity”. With that bolt of inspiration, we signed up as the title sponsor for the conference with MaryLiz performing opening night.
Even now I get chills as I recall the power of her show, as she struck just the right chord with the perfect audience. Projected rockets leaping toward the stars electrified the night, while Annu shared her unique multimedia experience, seamlessly blending music, storytelling, and song. She weaved everything together with ballet-like grace via her Mi.mu gloves, the screen filled with video shot by our incredibly talented team of rocket chasers. My words simply cannot do the performance justice; It was awe-inspiring.
We’re working on a video to share the performance with you, but it is a show you must experience in person. If you visit Rocket Ranch near Starbase in Boca Chica, TX, you might be lucky enough to catch a performance. You may also want to consider booking a stay at Habitas:Talum, where Annu will be the artist in residence for the month of June. All of her performances are interactive, as she encourages engagement with the audience as she continues to develop and refine the living work.
Finally, as might be expected, my involvement in the Analog Astronaut Community didn’t end with the conference… I took a handful of action items that I’m following up. There’s a really creative open source space suit project that is looking for help. Sign me up. There’s also an opportunity to support the first field tests of the new Space Analog for the Moon and Mars (SAM) habitat being built at Biosphere 2. Send me in!
There’s so much energy buzzing around the community, I’m tingling to explore our next collaboration between the Analog Astronaut Community and Cosmic Perspective.
J. Trent Adams is the Executive Producer for Cosmic Perspective, and a version of this post was also published on their site.
