The team of artists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory help scientists and engineers think in creative ways. They also design art pieces, exhibits, graphics, films and experiences to engage the public and help connect them to the otherwordly things JPL and NASA are doing on Earth, in our solar system and beyond. The Exoplanet department at JPL wanted the art and design team to celebrate the vast number of exoplanets being discovered and highlight their fascinating, strange diversity. Among the thousands found, some are believed to rain molten glass. Others are made of diamond, and some even float alone in space without a sun. The designers wanted to go to these places and believed others would, too. With that in mind, they were inspired by the simple and graphic way vintage travel posters celebrate the characteristics of a place. When thinking of exoplanets, this style presented the team with a mix of nostalgia and dreams of the future. Due to the fast turnaround required to meet approvals and deadlines, the posters were illustrated within one to two days each. The response from the public has been tremendous, perhaps due to the popular love for science fiction and our desire to know what is possible. The posters may also be downloaded for free. The fact that our world is now one among thousands if not millions of other worlds seems to open up the playing field of our future and spark an incredible question: “This exists. Now what?”
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