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At the Aalto in Space exhibition, you can admire nanosatellites, peer into a black hole, listen to Jupiter – and make of virtual reality journey into space

13.09.2018

The exhibition offers a diverse presentation of space research and technology at Aalto. The opening event is on 21 September – come and join us!

BepiColombo is Europe's first mission to Mercury. Aalto University is participating in many of its instrument groups as co-researcher.

Time: 21 September – 19 October 2018 (Opening event on 21 September from 15.00 to 18.00)
Place: Dipoli Gallery, Dipoli, Otakaari 24, 02150 Espoo. Opening hours Mon-Fri 7.45-21.45, Sat 9.30-21.45.

Space equipment was being designed in Otaniemi as early as the 1960s, and the first satellite television broadcasts were received in the 1970s. The Aalto in Space exhibition focuses nevertheless on the present and the future. For a couple of years already, there has been a nanosatellite boom taking place in Finland, and things don’t seem to be slowing down yet.

“Our newest satellite, Suomi 100, was delivered this Wednesday (12 September) to the launch service provider in Holland,” tells Professor Esa Kallio.

“Our satellite program has also played a vital role in two commercial nanosatellites, Iceye X-2 and Reaktor Lab’s Hello World, that are programmed to be launched later this year.”

The exhibition features normal-sized and normal-shaped satellite models and research devices. In addition, visitors can take a virtual reality trip into space using a unique simulation that was developed originally for research use at Aalto. With the virtual reality goggles, you can examine phenomena such as the northern lights and the magnetosphere through the eyes of a satellite, just as if you would be floating 500 km above the earth’s surface. The goggles are available 12-13 o'clock (from Monday to Friday).

Nanosatellites and remote sensing both have an important role in the development of space technology, but the majority of the research carried out at Aalto has focused on observations of space weather, the Sun, the electrically charged gas within the solar system, and distant black holes. This research is carried out using research devices located both in space and on Earth, for example at the Metsähovi Radio Observatory. Visitors to the exhibition can learn about things such as the secrets of plasma and can listen to the “sounds” coming from Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system.

Space is inspiring for artists as well. Karoliina Paatos’ work Terrella Cubica which is based on Aalto University’s auroral simulator device illustrates how the northern lights form around the earth’s poles.