The Archaeology of Space Art

The origins of space art are traced to the first realization that there are worlds other than the earth—a time when speculation was rife as to just what the nature of these other worlds might be. The first artwork that tried to realistically depict interplanetary space and the surfaces of other planets did not appear until the publication of Jules Verne’s classic novels. The subsequent burgeoning of both astronomical knowledge and the new literary genre of science fiction increased the need for artists specializing in realistic depictions of outer space, other planets and spacecraft. Space art proved to be a major influence on the public’s perception of the universe as well as on the development of space exploration. Today’s space artist is considered by astronomers and space scientists to be a valued colleague.