apollo print

2019installation

concept

A model of one of the first footprints on the Moon, made for Fiske Planetarium's celebration of the 50th anniversary of the landing. I started from a photogrammetry scan of the boot print and used a CNC to carve a life-size replica out of foam, then finished it with spray paint and gravel.

process

I started by attempting to laser cut the blocks out of foam, then gave up and cut them with a hobby knife and glued them into one stock block with spray adhesive. An Inventables X-Carve roughed out the print from there, and I sanded the edges smooth.

results

A coat of primer ate away at the foam a little, but the granulated texture it left behind ended up adding to the final look. A few more coats of primer, spray adhesive, a sprinkling of gravel and more spray paint, and I had a model of one of the first steps on the Moon!

Stock foam block divided before being glued together.
CNC beginning to cut out the print.
CNC almost finished with the roughing pass.
Piece lit to show depth.
Finished piece after sanding.
Piece after a few coats of primer.
Piece in sunlight after primer.
Testing how the gravel would adhere to the foam.