Abiogenetic Triptych

Abiogenetic Triptych is a work-in-progress reflection on the divergent possibilities that protocells, thought to be the chemical proto-origins of life, could have taken without the rule of gravity governing bio-chemical evolution. At each gravity level of Sojouner 2020 different ratios of inorganic salts – copper sulfate and potassium ferricyanide – are mixed together after launch to form protocell compounds. The resulting precipitate membranes, formed under conditions of differing osmotic pressures and differing gravities, will give a glimpse of how the first inklings of life may have formed under these interstellar conditions. Upon return to earth, the precipitate morphology and material characteristics will be used as prompts for synthetic cell designs and imaginary creatures. Sojourner 2020 (a 1.5U size unit, 100mm x 100mm x 152.4mm ) will be launched into low Earth orbit for about 30 days. It features a three-layer telescoping structure which creates three different “gravities”: zero gravity, lunar gravity, and Martian gravity. Each layer of the structure rotates independently. The top layer remains still in weightlessness, while the middle and bottom layers spin at different speeds to produce centripetal accelerations that mimic lunar gravity and Martian gravity, respectively. Each layer carries 6 pockets that can hold projects.