Lena Rivera
Irish street artist Shane Sutton won the Graffiti without Gravity competition in 2018. As a result, ESA's antenna testing team invited Shane to decorate the entrance to their Compact Antenna Test Range (CATR). Shane's mural, which took two and a half days to complete, depicts an astronaut in contact with ESA's Rosetta mission, symbolising the critical role of antennas in connecting space missions with their home world. The artwork also showcases the ''anechoic' foam spikes lining the CATR walls, which absorb radio signals to replicate the vastness of space. Shane's unique style, dubbed 'Spacer' paintings, explores the concept of that space in between, representing the transition from one place to another through faceless astronaut motifs.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Shane Sutton |
| Location | Entrance to the Compact Antenna Test Range (CATR) |
| Time Taken | 2.5 days |
| Subject | An astronaut in contact with ESA's Rosetta mission |
| Purpose | To represent the use of antennas in space missions |
| Paint | Krylon Fusion |
| Colours | Various, with pure white coming last |
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What You'll Learn
- Irish street artist Shane Sutton won the Graffiti without Gravity competition
- The mural depicts an astronaut in contact with ESA's Rosetta mission
- The artwork was created on a 2x2 metre canvas
- The CATR is an ESA antenna test facility
- Painting an antenna: avoid paints with metals to prevent reflection issues
Irish street artist Shane Sutton won the Graffiti without Gravity competition
Shane's winning artwork took two and a half days to complete and depicts an astronaut in contact with ESA's Rosetta mission, like someone holding a puppet on a string. This represents the use of antennas, which are essential for connecting space missions with their home base. The mural is much larger than the competition canvas, at over six times the size, and incorporates a corner, allowing Shane to include related images on each side.
Shane's unique style often features faceless astronauts, which he describes as depicting 'that space in between', or 'the place after you leave but before you get there'. This style clearly resonated with the judges, as Shane beat out nine other talented street artists to win the competition.
Shane's work has gained recognition from notable figures, including astronaut Chris Hadfield, who retweeted his artwork. This exposure has led to commissions from various companies, and his distinctive artistic style continues to gain attention and acclaim.
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The mural depicts an astronaut in contact with ESA's Rosetta mission
The mural in question is a piece of artwork created by Irish street artist Shane Sutton. Sutton won the Graffiti without Gravity competition, jointly organised by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Hague Street Art. As a result of his win, Sutton was invited to decorate the entrance to ESA's Compact Antenna Test Range (CATR) facility. The mural depicts an astronaut in contact with ESA's Rosetta mission, with the antennas that link space missions to their homeworld represented as puppet strings.
The Rosetta mission was a space probe built by the ESA and launched on 2 March 2004. It was designed to perform a detailed study of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko (67P). The spacecraft consisted of the Rosetta orbiter, which featured 12 instruments, and the Philae lander, with nine additional instruments. During its journey to the comet, Rosetta performed flybys of Earth, Mars, and the asteroids 21 Lutetia and 2867 Steins.
The Rosetta and Philae characters, designed by ESA employee and cartoonist Carlo Palazzari, became a central part of the public image of the mission. They appeared in promotional materials such as posters and merchandise and were often credited as a major factor in the mission's popularity among the public.
The mural by Shane Sutton captures the importance of the Rosetta mission and its place within the broader context of space exploration. By depicting an astronaut in contact with the mission through antenna 'puppet strings', the artwork highlights the role of technology in connecting space missions with their home base.
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The artwork was created on a 2x2 metre canvas
Shane's artwork depicts an astronaut in contact with ESA's Rosetta mission, like someone holding a puppet on a string. This represents the use of antennas, which are essential to link space missions with their home world. Shane's work usually explores the narrative of 'that space in between', which he describes as the place after you leave but before you get there. It is somewhere we all go at some point, and Shane likes to represent this through faceless astronaut paintings.
Shane's painting process begins with a sketch of the idea, which he then scales up for the space using a grid. As he works, he adds different colours to the various blocks, leaving pure white to be added last. For the CATR mural, it took Shane two and a half days to finish.
The artwork was well-received by the ESA, with antenna engineer Luis Rolo commenting that they wanted to make an artistic connection with the hi-tech activities they carry out.
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The CATR is an ESA antenna test facility
The Compact Antenna Test Range (CATR) is one of several antenna test facilities run by the European Space Agency (ESA). It is used to test small satellite antennas in space-like conditions. The CATR is a shielded anechoic chamber with internal foam coatings that absorb reflected radio waves, simulating the boundless nature of space. Its metal walls form Faraday cages, blocking all external signals such as TV broadcasts, airplane and ship radars, and mobile phone signals.
The CATR is 12.5 metres long, 8.5 metres wide, and 4.3 metres high. It allows easy access and mounting of small test objects in ambient environmental conditions with testing capabilities between 4 and 250 GHz. The laboratories have equipment up to 500 GHz and can perform antenna measurements using Planar Near Field techniques at these frequencies. The CATR is also capable of spherical and cylindrical near-field scanning, with the theta-phi rotation performed in a roll-over-azimuth configuration.
The CATR is used in conjunction with the CATR positioner, which allows polarisation measurements in transmission and reflection configuration (both monostatic and bistatic). It can accommodate sample sizes of 300x300mm or 400x400mm. The system is fully automated, enabling the characterisation of materials for antenna radomes, reflectors, electromagnetic band gap structures, and frequency/polarisation selective surfaces (FSS).
The CATR is complementary to the HERTZ chamber, which is used for full-size satellite testing in cleanroom conditions. HERTZ is a larger facility, measuring 25 metres long, 16 metres wide, and 11 metres high. It is a state-of-the-art satellite antenna testing facility, allowing the characterisation of flight antennas and completely integrated satellites.
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Painting an antenna: avoid paints with metals to prevent reflection issues
Painting an antenna can be done for a variety of reasons, such as to reduce visibility, to blend it into the environment, or simply for aesthetic purposes. However, when painting an antenna, it is important to avoid using paints that contain metals to prevent potential issues with reflection and antenna performance.
Non-metallic paints are generally recommended for painting antennas. This is because metallic paints can cause reflection issues, which may hinder the performance of the antenna. For example, metallic paint could shift the frequency of a narrow band antenna, causing it to move out of its intended frequency band. Water is also highly lossy, so it is best to avoid painting antennas with water-based paints.
To identify if a paint contains metals, check the ingredient list on the can and look for metallic-sounding compound names, such as iron oxide, titanium dioxide, or zinc chromate. Instead, opt for plastic-based paints designed for use on plastic or metal surfaces, such as Krylon Fusion for plastic or Rust-Oleum plastic paint. These paints are flexible and can withstand outdoor conditions.
It is also important to properly prepare the antenna surface before painting. This includes addressing any rust by using a product like Naval Jelly, cleaning the surface thoroughly, and masking off any areas that should not be painted, such as insulation or tuning rings. Additionally, consider using an undercoat, especially if the antenna is made of aluminum, as this may require a special undercoat.
By following these guidelines and choosing the appropriate non-metallic paint, you can successfully paint an antenna while avoiding reflection issues and maintaining its functionality.
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Frequently asked questions
An antenna is a device used to transmit or receive signals. People may paint antennas to either decorate them or camouflage them.
Some people may want to hide their antenna from view for aesthetic reasons or to hide it from people who may try to steal or vandalize it.
It is recommended to avoid metallic paints as they may interfere with the antenna's performance. The paint Krylon Fusion is recommended for plastic antennas.
