NonA Weekly: THE IMAGINARY WORLD OF SPACECRAFTS

Image by @marcrodriguez

Dear readers and friends,

Architects, designers and big business are increasingly turning their attention to space. With projects exploring habitable 3D-printed structures on the moon, the colonisation of Mars and vehicles designed to take us to the outer-edges of Earth’s atmosphere, they are transforming science fiction dreams into tangible realities.

Thanks to a multitude of ground-breaking era-defining films including Things to Come, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Trek and Gravity, the concept of space travel and spacecraft design has fired our imaginations. As far back as 1902’s Le Voyage dans la Lune (A Trip to the Moon) where a group of astronomers travel to the moon in a cannon-propelled capsule and from the Space Race era of the 1960s, film has played a pivotal part in our collective view of what ‘the future’ looks like. ‘Science Fiction’ time and again evolves into ‘Science Fact’.

1. EVERY STARFIGHTER IN STAR WARS EXPLAINED BY LUCASFILM

Lucasfilms’ Doug Chiang and Amy Beth Christenson explain each and every TYPE of starfighter from the Star Wars movie franchise. These small, combat-focused spacecrafts have become a canvas for some of the most iconic designs in all of cinema. Ever wondered why the “snout” of the X-Wing is so pronounced, or why the Y-Wing’s paneling is so bare? Amy Beth and Doug offer all these insights and much more!

2. THE 25 GREATEST SPACESHIPS OF SCIENCE FICTION

So many discussions of ships in science fiction fall into the same tired debates. Who goes faster, the Millennium Falcon or the USS Enterprise? How big of a planet would the Death Star blow up – and how much would that ship cost, anyway? This list takes things a step further. It talks about the most creative SHIPS of science fiction. Yes, you’ll see some familiar names on here, but we hope there will be at least a couple of surprises.

3. STAR WARS VEHICLE FLYTHROUGHS

Take a look at the inside of some of the most unique starships in the galaxy with “Star Wars: Vehicle Flythroughs.” This series of shirts available on Disney+ gives a unique look at some of the SHIPS that have inspired our imaginations for the past four decades. It’s a fun piece of what Mark Hamill famously described as “nerdvana,” and, not a bad way to spend seven minutes of your day.

4. 10 DESIGNS FOR THE FUTURE OF SPACE TRAVEL

As advances in technology put space travel back on the agenda, DEZEEN has rounded up some of the best interstellar designs.

5. OUTSTANDING SPACESHIP INTERIORS IN FILM

Renowned film and design EXPERTS (as well as an astronaut!) share with us their favourite space station and spaceship interiors in film and TV.

6. THE OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD SET DESIGNS OF “PASSENGERS”

Production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas takes us behind the scenes of the MOVIE “Passengers”, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt.

Stay creative and see you all next week!
Daniela