Gallery: Look Into the Futuristic Labs Where Satellites Are Born
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These pictures by Greg White give us a glimpse into the places where satellites are built.
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The shoot was commissioned by Audi Magazine for a feature about the British space industry, a project that took White to Astrium Ltd. and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, two satellite components makers in southern England.
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It's often hard to get a sense of what, exactly, it is you’re looking it in the pictures–and that’s very much the point.
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White says he deliberately keeps the framing tight, “not showing too much, to keep an inquisitive view of a machine or area.”
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For these sorts of shoots, White relies on a large format camera, an equipment choice that “slows down the process of capturing the images” and “makes you think more about what to shoot and how to do it,” he explains.
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Here, a scene from an anechoic chamber at Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.
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These types of rooms are designed to absorb electromagnetic waves, allowing for precise testing of communications equipment.
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All the environments where the satellite components are manufactured and assembled are clean rooms.
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That means airlock doors, sophisticated filtration systems, and a uniform of overcoats, shoe-covers, and hair nets.
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It all amounts to a sterile, sci-fi tableau–one perfectly suited for taking photographs.
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“Apart from having to wear a hairnet, it was a pleasure to be in there with nice even light and constant temperatures,” White says.
