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The Joy of Sets presents
Capricorn Two: A Mars Mission Simulation

Workshop

2018
The University of the Underground, Sandberg Institute

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Capricorn Two is a collaboration with space architect Dr. Barbara Imhof and students of the University of the Underground (Sandberg Institute) in Amsterdam. With guidance from Popper and Imhof, the students designed and produced detailed and immersive stages for dedicated Mars mission simulations.

Made out of cardboard and other simple materials, the sets imagined specific sites on Earth and the surface of Mars, where the students performed collaborative missions as various crew members. The crews were connected by video-call with a 2-minute communications delay between Earth and Mars, which was imposed as part of a strict mission protocol—further increasing the simulation fidelity.

Bringing set-building together with space mission design demonstrates an exciting potential of hands-on making as a form of dedicated outer space research. By combining mission scenarios with imagination and fabrication, handmade space simulations can be an engaging and valuable form of investigation through speculative methods of experience design.