Yesterday we looked at an artist who immortalised the US space program. Today, we meet an artist who does the same — except that this American illustrator, Paul Fjeld, bases his work on the actual transcripts of missions. It’s science and art in equal measure, and it’s beautiful.
Picture: Challenger – December 12, 1972. Gene Cernan, at the Rover, and Jack Schmitt, circling Lunar Module 12 “Challenger”, prepare their exploration of the valley at Taurus Littrow pfinspace.com
Fjeld is both an illustrator, writer, space expert, and official NASA and US Air Force artist — he’s one of the best known aerospace artists of our age. He was born in Baerum, in Norway, in 1955, grew up in Montreal; and lives in Salem, Massachusetts, today. He’s written and illustrated articles on the Apollo moon missions for The Montreal Star, and created space paintings on Apollo, Skylab, ASTP and Space Shuttle missions used by NASA, CBS News, National Geographic Magazine, Aviation Week & Space Technology and other publications.
In 1975, Fjeld recreated one of the most troubled space scene ever: the Skylab 2 extravehicular activity (EVA) in Earth orbit when astronauts Joseph P. Kerwin and Charles Conrad Jr. had to cut the aluminium strapping which prevented the Skylab Orbital Workshop solar array system wing from deploying (June 7, 1973). This artistic effort took weeks to research: Fjeld needed some hundred or so photographs and about 300 pages of transcripts from the flight to get all the details for the painting. Also, he used several pages of teleprinter messages containing the actual instructions on the EVA.
But his best-appreciated artworks are his legendary ASTP concept paintings, where he depicted the main stages of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission, the Apollo and Soyuz transposition and docking manoeuvres and joint spaceflight months prior to the actual mission. Enjoy our selection of Paul Fjeld’s amazing artworks below!
Skylab 2 extravehicular activities in Earth orbit depicting astronauts Joseph P. Kerwin and Charles Conrad Jr (1973).
Picture: NASA
Picture: NASA
GE Astro’s Defence Meteorological Space Program satellite flies over Alaska (c1973).
Picture: US Air Force/Wikimedia Commons
Series of the joint US-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission (1975).
Picture: NASA
Picture: NASA
Picture: NASA
Picture: NASA
Picture: NASA
Picture: NASA
Picture: NASA
Rescue in space
Picture: Popular Mechanics, Oct 1976
And a painting from here on Earth. Engine Maintenance, Langley AFB with Pratt&Witney F-100’s (1982)
Picture: National Archives OPA
Spar Aerospace design for the Space Station Freedom Mobile Servicing System. “Speedy” the robot is helping an astronaut riding the Arm in “cherry-picker” style. (1989)
Picture: pfinspace.com
Lunar Module Eagle moments after the left-hand probe contacts the moon’s surface.
Picture: Horizons, May/June 2013
Insignias for the the STS-90 and the STS-100 Space Shuttle missions, and the 35th expedition to the International Space Station (ISS).
Picture: NASA/Wikimedia Commons
Picture: NASA
Picture: NASA