Celestial Charging Station Takes Art to Space

A clever skin changes a normal science satellite into a celestial charging station.

The modern human is undoubtedly a cyborg, and its various external attachments require constant charging from various electronic terminals. Travelers understand this more than anyone, as electrical outlets at airports and metro terminals are treated like shallow watering holes, difficult to find and jealously guarded. If you think that’s bad, just imagine what it’s like in space. To help beleaguered aliens charge their various devices, a group of artists will send a “Celestial Charging Station” into orbit later this year.

UK’s Space Agency is launching the UKube-1 satellite in December. Officially, the breadbox sized device will measure radiation and space weather. Unofficially, it will serve as a charging station for galactic travelers. While not actually functional, the outside of the satellite will have a special skin designed by Jon Gibson and Amanda White, two people behind Los Angeles’s iam8bit gallery.

The design proudly greets any passing aliens in Galactic Standard English, which should register on any commonly used translation devices. Below, it presents a variety of charging ports with the limit of only “one (1) outlet per vessel or mechanism of transportation”, which seems awful stingy. No word yet on whether or not aliens will have to bring the proper phase converters, or if it uses phase adaptive technology.

Source: Geekologie