Project Development and Implementation

 

The Cosmic Stones project will be developed along the lines of a typical experiment designed for the space environment. Ground base testing, configuration and documentation will be utilized as preparation for eventual implementations in outer space.

Under consideration are the use of the ESA Drop Towers located at ESTEC in the Netherlands and in Bremen, Germany. At the ESTEC tower a Cosmic Stone can be subjected and filmed in 1.5 seconds of microgravity. Similarly 9.5 seconds can be achieved at the ZARM Drop Tower in Bremen.

One of the first instances of the project which is already under development will take place on a parabolic flight in 2006. The purposes of this exercise in weightlessness are to:

1. obtain video footage of the Cosmic Stones subjected to the unique characteristics of weightlessness,
2. explore the interaction between a person or persons and the Cosmic Stones in this situation,
3. to physically involve the artist in the perception and experience of weightlessness and the sensation of directly experiencing the Cosmic Stones in this situation,
4. to provide the artist with a first-hand zero-g experience.

These preliminary sub-orbital activities will endow a sense of inevitability to the future developments of the project by the realization and completion of "first steps" toward the cosmos which be a reference for all future developments.

A Commercial Approach

As I believe the commercial development of the space frontier by private enterprise is a major factor in enabling the Space Age, the Cosmic Stones project is being developed in a commercial manner. All activities, including testing, marketing, as well as any eventual parabolic flights or launches into space, will be financed through the sale of the Cosmic Stones . The sale of Cosmic Stones will take place in exhibitions and on the Internet. Any donations of support, be they financial or technical are also welcome.

I have opened a permanent art gallery in Stein am Rhein, Switzerland where the Cosmic Stones will be on permanent display "www.arthurwoods.ch" and Cosmic Stones can be purchased on this website.

The Price of Spaceflight

A major feasibility factor of any space project is the launch cost. The launch cost factor is often expressed as a cost ratio of "mass to orbit". The cost of the spaceflight of the Cosmic Dancer sculpture was negotiated on the basis of 1 kilogram at a price of 100,000 Swiss francs. It is estimated that a Cosmic Stones installation on the ISS similar to the Cosmic Dancer Mir event - e.g. 1 kilogram launch , 30 minute video, return of video - that would be realized through the ESA commercial department would cost in the neighborhood of €100,000. Obviously Cosmic Stones included in payloads destined for the Moon or Mars would be more expensive and would represent another set of circumstances.

The Price of the Cosmic Stones

The purchase price of a Cosmic Stone will be directly based on its weight with the initial price being € 100 Euros per kilogram. Each Cosmic Stone will be signed by the artist, the title will indicate its location, the year that it was collected and its weight. It is my hope that when the Space Age eventually unfolds, the "mass to orbit" cost will be in this range. As some Cosmic Stones are quite small, they are affordable to anyone. The price will increase when a major project milestone has been achieved, such as parabolic flights, launching into orbit, etc.

Additional Cosmic Stone Products

In addition to Cosmic Stones , photomontages - in the initial phases - and later photographs of the Cosmic Stones in a space environment will be offered for sale. DVD video productions may offered at a later date.

The Cosmic Stones Network

What are Cosmic Stones?

Origins of the Cosmic Stones in my Art

The Cosmic Stones as Art Objects

The Suitability of the Cosmic Stones in the Space Environment

Our Future: Will it be a "Space Age" or a "Stone Age"?

The Cosmic Stones Project as an Art Catalyst of the Space Age

Project Development and Implementation