Smith Student Sends Artwork to Space

Freshman Sara Cha at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business will have her artwork exhibited at the International Space Station for four weeks after winning UMD’s Space Patch Mission contest. “I am fascinated with space from an artistic viewpoint,” said Cha, a marketing student from Rockville, Md.

When Cha’s design returns to Earth, it will have a certificate of spaceflight. The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, which sponsored the contest, is also considering making the design into a patch or pin for student scientists participating in the program, an initiative of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education.

Cha’s patch design will accompany the program’s Mission 11, scheduled for launch on Aug. 1, 2017. The program flies student-designed science experiments to the International Space Station to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. The mission patch reflects the identity of Maryland in the context of the program.

The central symbol of Cha’s design is the terrapin shell, which represents the state reptile and the University of Maryland. The design depicts the shell separating into pieces and drifting away to represent the weightlessness experienced in microgravity.

Cha said she is intrigued by space because of the unknown and endless possibilities that it represents. She enjoys drawing, painting and creating digital art using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. She is considering a second major in graphic design and plans to take design-based classes to further develop her skills.

— Mamayaa Opoku, Smith School communications writer