Audiences are launched into outer space as this digitally-fabricated astronaut is brought to life with an animated spacesuit and hyperspace visor.

Ever dreamed of going into space? It seems lonely – but what if you could bring 600+ friends? That was the premise when we were invited to launch Victoria University of Wellington Law students into the stratosphere. A hefty challenge, no doubt – especially without the budget for an orbital-class rocket. However, through the use of custom-made props, innovative materials and projection mapping, we were ready for lift-off.

We knew we needed an astronaut to guide the mission, so we looked into sourcing a spacesuit as close to the real thing as possible. However, with no manned space flights from New Zealand, this was out of reach. Sure, costume shops sold replicas, but they lacked the authenticity of the real thing. Exploring alternatives that would have high-tech charm, we turned to our love of projected solutions - a custom built spaceman with stylised graphic design by James Gillard. We overlaid dynamic techy elements, dials, lights, and gauges to enhance the spacesuit’s complexity. For the finishing touch, we integrated reflections onto the visor so it became round and shiny like glass, with moving stars disappearing into the distance. Around the astronaut, pixel-mapped LED strip lights and scrolling effect lights gave the feeling of warping through a faraway galaxy, taking the crowd through a cosmic journey throughout the night.

As a last little treat for the client, we live-streamed them into the spacesuit. Flying high above the room, their faces could be seen behind the visor with real time effects. The crowd went wild! As astronaut John Young once said, “the dream is alive.”