Element115Art
@element115.bsky.social
Concept art for non-existent space programs. No AI, using only FOSS (Blender and GIMP)
Short stories in Linktree.
linktr.ee/element115art
Short stories in Linktree.
linktr.ee/element115art
The Avco 7969 was designed for the USAF Man in Space Soonest program of the late 50s. It used a deployable drag chute instead of retrorockets to initiate reentry. None of the MISS projects flew, and NASA was given the mission of sending up the first astronaut.
November 13, 2025 at 9:54 PM
The Avco 7969 was designed for the USAF Man in Space Soonest program of the late 50s. It used a deployable drag chute instead of retrorockets to initiate reentry. None of the MISS projects flew, and NASA was given the mission of sending up the first astronaut.
The Avco 7969 was an unusual, unflown late 50s USAF crewed spaceflight concept. Instead of retrorockets, it would use a steel mesh drag brake to slow the spaceraft for reentry. This had an advantage of saving weight and being simpler than a traditional retrorocket system.
November 12, 2025 at 11:13 PM
The Avco 7969 was an unusual, unflown late 50s USAF crewed spaceflight concept. Instead of retrorockets, it would use a steel mesh drag brake to slow the spaceraft for reentry. This had an advantage of saving weight and being simpler than a traditional retrorocket system.
— Retransmitting —
Happy Halloween!
Check out my newest short story "You Who Dwell in the Dust" in Nocturne Magazine ( @nocturnemag.bsky.social )
It's about Mars.
www.nocturnezine.com/issue-5
Check out my newest short story "You Who Dwell in the Dust" in Nocturne Magazine ( @nocturnemag.bsky.social )
It's about Mars.
www.nocturnezine.com/issue-5
November 8, 2025 at 6:03 PM
— Retransmitting —
Renders from my alternate history project wherein I designed 80s military spacecraft based on the ships from Star Wars; a world where the Strategic Defense Initiative conformed more strictly to its nickname.
November 7, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Renders from my alternate history project wherein I designed 80s military spacecraft based on the ships from Star Wars; a world where the Strategic Defense Initiative conformed more strictly to its nickname.
Zond 5 returns to Earth. Flown in September 1968, it was a test flight for a Soviet crewed circumlunar mission. Although that mission never happened, Zond 5 was the 1st spacecraft to make a circumlunar flight, making the two turtles it carried the 1st creatures to reach the moon.
November 6, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Zond 5 returns to Earth. Flown in September 1968, it was a test flight for a Soviet crewed circumlunar mission. Although that mission never happened, Zond 5 was the 1st spacecraft to make a circumlunar flight, making the two turtles it carried the 1st creatures to reach the moon.
While the crew of Apollo 8 were the first human beings to reach the moon and return, two Soviet turtles were the first Earth creatures to accomplish the feat. They were launch aboard Zond 5 on September 14, 1968 and splashed down on September 21st.
November 4, 2025 at 10:19 PM
While the crew of Apollo 8 were the first human beings to reach the moon and return, two Soviet turtles were the first Earth creatures to accomplish the feat. They were launch aboard Zond 5 on September 14, 1968 and splashed down on September 21st.
Happy Halloween!
Check out my newest short story "You Who Dwell in the Dust" in Nocturne Magazine ( @nocturnemag.bsky.social )
It's about Mars.
www.nocturnezine.com/issue-5
Check out my newest short story "You Who Dwell in the Dust" in Nocturne Magazine ( @nocturnemag.bsky.social )
It's about Mars.
www.nocturnezine.com/issue-5
October 31, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Happy Halloween!
Check out my newest short story "You Who Dwell in the Dust" in Nocturne Magazine ( @nocturnemag.bsky.social )
It's about Mars.
www.nocturnezine.com/issue-5
Check out my newest short story "You Who Dwell in the Dust" in Nocturne Magazine ( @nocturnemag.bsky.social )
It's about Mars.
www.nocturnezine.com/issue-5
Happy Halloween from Salem!
Some pictures I took this month.
Some pictures I took this month.
October 31, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Happy Halloween from Salem!
Some pictures I took this month.
Some pictures I took this month.
Lunar Liner, sometime in the 2100s. The whole ship would spin around its axis to provide some artificial gravity to the six inflatable passenger modules. The ship would be boosted via space tug to the moon, then return to pick up more passengers before being boosted again.
October 28, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Lunar Liner, sometime in the 2100s. The whole ship would spin around its axis to provide some artificial gravity to the six inflatable passenger modules. The ship would be boosted via space tug to the moon, then return to pick up more passengers before being boosted again.
Cassandra Peterson (Elvira) and Voyager 2.
October 25, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Cassandra Peterson (Elvira) and Voyager 2.
In Cassandra Peterson's @therealelvira.bsky.social memoir "Yours Cruelly, Elvira" she mentions a gig where she was hired to "[wear] a silver lamé bikini while standing in a 'Vanna White pose' next to the Voyager II spacecraft at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory."
I need to see a picture of this.
I need to see a picture of this.
October 25, 2025 at 4:26 PM
In Cassandra Peterson's @therealelvira.bsky.social memoir "Yours Cruelly, Elvira" she mentions a gig where she was hired to "[wear] a silver lamé bikini while standing in a 'Vanna White pose' next to the Voyager II spacecraft at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory."
I need to see a picture of this.
I need to see a picture of this.
USS Triangulum (NCC-82115), a Galathea-class science vessel (my own design). The Galathea-class is a demilitarized Defiant variant. When the Dominion War ended there were Defiants in various states of completion. Some were retrofitted to this specification.
October 22, 2025 at 8:49 PM
USS Triangulum (NCC-82115), a Galathea-class science vessel (my own design). The Galathea-class is a demilitarized Defiant variant. When the Dominion War ended there were Defiants in various states of completion. Some were retrofitted to this specification.
On a recent DS9 rewatch I realized that we never actually see Earth's orbital defenses, so I made this: the Defense Sphere. They have a crew of 10, impulse engines but no warp drive, and two phaser strips. They are designed to be simple to build and deployed in large numbers.
October 20, 2025 at 9:28 PM
On a recent DS9 rewatch I realized that we never actually see Earth's orbital defenses, so I made this: the Defense Sphere. They have a crew of 10, impulse engines but no warp drive, and two phaser strips. They are designed to be simple to build and deployed in large numbers.
Black and white randoms:
1) Infographic
2) Satellite from concept art for 2001: A Space Odyssey
3) Alternate-80s laser carrying space station inspired by the TIE fighter
4) Apollo mission trajectory
1) Infographic
2) Satellite from concept art for 2001: A Space Odyssey
3) Alternate-80s laser carrying space station inspired by the TIE fighter
4) Apollo mission trajectory
October 18, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Black and white randoms:
1) Infographic
2) Satellite from concept art for 2001: A Space Odyssey
3) Alternate-80s laser carrying space station inspired by the TIE fighter
4) Apollo mission trajectory
1) Infographic
2) Satellite from concept art for 2001: A Space Odyssey
3) Alternate-80s laser carrying space station inspired by the TIE fighter
4) Apollo mission trajectory
A closeup view of the Heliogyro's inhabited section. The design comes from a late 60s study for a solar sail. Details of the study in the quoted thread.
October 16, 2025 at 6:49 PM
A closeup view of the Heliogyro's inhabited section. The design comes from a late 60s study for a solar sail. Details of the study in the quoted thread.
Apollo Heliogyro: a 1969 proposal by the Astro Research Corporation. The Heliogryo is a unique type of solar sail. The sails are mounted in a pinwheel configuration, and each can be rotated in order to change the angle of the blade with respect to the incoming radiation.
October 14, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Apollo Heliogyro: a 1969 proposal by the Astro Research Corporation. The Heliogryo is a unique type of solar sail. The sails are mounted in a pinwheel configuration, and each can be rotated in order to change the angle of the blade with respect to the incoming radiation.
This line in Shadow Ticket felt like Pynchon talking directly to us:
"Maybe I didn't know what I was talking about. Maybe it's too late. Just mind what you see and hear in the sky. Ain't likely to be wild geese on the wing...
"Maybe I didn't know what I was talking about. Maybe it's too late. Just mind what you see and hear in the sky. Ain't likely to be wild geese on the wing...
October 13, 2025 at 4:03 PM
This line in Shadow Ticket felt like Pynchon talking directly to us:
"Maybe I didn't know what I was talking about. Maybe it's too late. Just mind what you see and hear in the sky. Ain't likely to be wild geese on the wing...
"Maybe I didn't know what I was talking about. Maybe it's too late. Just mind what you see and hear in the sky. Ain't likely to be wild geese on the wing...
Black and white randoms
1) Failed anti-gravity experiment
2) TRS Mk. 2 satellite (1963)
3) 70s McDonnell space station concept
4 Photon rocket based on a design feature in Tekhnika - Molodezhi in 1957
1) Failed anti-gravity experiment
2) TRS Mk. 2 satellite (1963)
3) 70s McDonnell space station concept
4 Photon rocket based on a design feature in Tekhnika - Molodezhi in 1957
October 11, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Black and white randoms
1) Failed anti-gravity experiment
2) TRS Mk. 2 satellite (1963)
3) 70s McDonnell space station concept
4 Photon rocket based on a design feature in Tekhnika - Molodezhi in 1957
1) Failed anti-gravity experiment
2) TRS Mk. 2 satellite (1963)
3) 70s McDonnell space station concept
4 Photon rocket based on a design feature in Tekhnika - Molodezhi in 1957
The Virgo over Venus. This is my concept for a crewed Venus exploration vessel in the 2100s, based on the astrological glyph for the planet. The whole structure is spun, and the tether increases the overall radius for the inhabited sections while saving weight.
October 9, 2025 at 11:16 PM
The Virgo over Venus. This is my concept for a crewed Venus exploration vessel in the 2100s, based on the astrological glyph for the planet. The whole structure is spun, and the tether increases the overall radius for the inhabited sections while saving weight.
The Virgo, my concept for a crewed mission to Venus sometime in the next century. The design is based on the astrology glyph for the planet. It uses rotational artificial gravity.
October 8, 2025 at 8:48 PM
The Virgo, my concept for a crewed mission to Venus sometime in the next century. The design is based on the astrology glyph for the planet. It uses rotational artificial gravity.
Can't believe this is real. It's been 12 years.
October 7, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Can't believe this is real. It's been 12 years.
May I interest you in some black cats of Salem?
October 2, 2025 at 8:27 PM
May I interest you in some black cats of Salem?
Happy Halloween season from Salem. Here's some songs.
Also: new short story out on Halloween.
Also: new short story out on Halloween.
October 1, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Happy Halloween season from Salem. Here's some songs.
Also: new short story out on Halloween.
Also: new short story out on Halloween.
Orbital Transfer Vehicle: an 80s NASA concept for a spacecraft that would carry payloads to higher orbits and return to low-earth orbit via aerobraking.
September 30, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Orbital Transfer Vehicle: an 80s NASA concept for a spacecraft that would carry payloads to higher orbits and return to low-earth orbit via aerobraking.