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The Space Synapse System and the Symbiotic Sphere
Anna Hill – Space Synapse LtdIn emptiness, forms are born. When one becomes empty of assumptions, inferences, and judgments he has acquired over the years, he comes close to his original nature and is capableof conceiving original ideas and reacting freshly.Zen TenetIn the Western mindset, technological advancement oftenserves to reinforce the assumptions of a rational, materialist culture. This is evident in theexpressions of our technological platforms in medical, military and space technologies thatfilter down into societal expectations and behavior patterns mirrored in the consumables andthe media we produce. As an interdisciplinary artist, I am interested in ways in whichtechnology may be used to shift paradigms and refresh the agenda in an inspired andintegral way that may have positive human impact on global society and culture.On Earth, what happens if we begin to listen to those traditionally excluded from technology,and how can their voices benefit their empowerment with spin-off benefits to the evolution of mainstream culture?From space, life is viewed systemically both on macro and micro scales. On a macro scale,Earth is viewed from space as a beautiful and connected living system embodyingconnectivity between people and the planet. On a micro level, space gives us insight intoliving systems for example through the systems science of space engineering that is able tosustain human life in extreme conditions.I am interested in how this unique overview can change our social evolutionary path and theway we evolve as a global community. Space has as much relevance to protectingindigenous and diverse culture and ecosystems as it has to informing and inspiring new andsustainable technologies.In October 2004, I attended the 55th International Astronautical Congress, where I delivereda paper and received extraordinary insight from interdisciplinary expertise in various space-related fields ranging from the psychology of survival to reconfigurable technologies for lunar and Mars exploration. I have returned with a renewed conviction of the relevance of makingthis information accessible to a wider public so it may become relevant to issues on Earth.This work in progress statement describes The Space Synapse System, an interactiveartwork to be installed in the Columbus Module of the International Space Station (ISS) for aprojected launch date in 2007. The work is about distributing the human experience of spacetravel, in particularly the experience of shifted consciousness that occurs when humanstravel into space. While my initial motivations for the project were the anthropologicalrelevance to environmental and human concerns on Earth and the spiritual and poetic insightthat space travel offers artists, the project has rapidly become a multi-bodied Russian doll.New and more intricate insights into life in space and the relevance of space to life on Earth
 
are unraveling from a multitude of perspectives. In the end, space travel may tell us as muchabout ourselves as it can about space [1]. As Space Shuttle astronaut Joseph P. Allen notes:With all the arguments, pro and con, for going to the moon, no one suggested that we shoulddo it to look at the Earth. But that may be in fact be the most important reason [1].Figure 1: ‘Vaisseau devant la Lune.’ Illustration by Fernand Fau.In
Novelles aventures: Les Robinsons lunaires,
by Georges Le Faure. Paris: E. Dentu, 1893.© Maison d'Ailleurs / Agence Martienne.
Overview of the Space Synapse System
The Space Synapse System consists of a number of key components: the Symbiotic Sphere,which will be on board the ISS in Earth orbit, and a number of nodes (‘synapses’) – virtual,educational and mobile – situated on Earth and on board the ISS. Together, the SymbioticSphere and the synapses constitute a distributed participatory system. The Earth synapseswill interpret scientific data collected in space to interact with cultural interfaces on Earth.Each synapse is responsible for absorbing and emitting data flows and is subject tointeraction with users in its location. Data sources will include still images, moving images,audio and data flows transformed by algorithms within the Space Synapse software.
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The Symbiotic Sphere is a multi-modal interface and sculpture in orbit on the ISSdesigned to interact with and absorb experience (in the form of audio, visual andbiomedical information) from the astronauts and cosmonauts. It is also responsible for collecting and distributing housekeeping data, i.e., orbital height and radiator orientation data from the ISS and biomedical and physical data from the environmentinside it. Images and sounds recorded by the both the Symbiotic Sphere as well ascameras inside and outside the ISS will be used. External cameras will recordastronaut's interaction with the Symbiotic Sphere as well as external views of space
 
and Earth taken through the view port. Localized sound recording will be taken fromwithin the ISS. External ISS experimental data will be gathered as well as inputs fromother space sources such as satellite data flows and radio and optical astronomy.
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A series of Terrestrial Synapses will reside in art galleries and scientific and culturalinstitutions. Public interaction will also be achieved through architectural andappropriate design scenarios that deal with sustainable energy solutions and practicalhuman requirements to make space technology accessible to indigenous andtraditional knowledge bases and support the protection of world heritage sites. Fromthese, sounds and images inclusive of animals and nature will feed into data flows aswell as musical and artistic inputs from different cultures on Earth. Data flows fromeducational software interaction and terrestrial art and design interactions will be usedwithin the system.
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A Mobile Synapse installed in a solar powered vehicle will travel to remote locationson Earth including remote rural areas.
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Virtual Synapses in the form of an interactive website will have two-way data flowsand third-generation (3G) mobile phone interaction. Interactive TV will enable accessacross the digital divide using sustainable technology for solar powered terrestrialinteraction with the Symbiotic Sphere and the Space Synapse System.Figure 2: The Space Synapse System.The Space Synapse users are the astronauts and cosmonauts on the ISS in Earth orbit, andthe European (and global) digital community on Earth. The users will be active participantsand contributors to the data flow, as the Space Synapse represents a learning andgenerative system. The objective is to provide creative inspiration for space technologytransfer using software development as ‘the glue’ to knit together the Space Synapse DigitalCommunity. This allows the International Space Station, a piece of high-end expensivetechnology, to be used by many cultures and societal groups. Citizens of the globalcommunity who do not normally have access to space technology will be able to experiencethe educational benefits of cutting-edge scientific developments in a way that is relevant totheir interests and needs.
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