Astrona is an online collection of artists resources and developers who specialize in space and astronomical art, science fiction art, visions of future worlds, design and visualization of technologies for living in space, space exploration, spaceships, starships, space colonies, etc. Take a journey through amazing images!
Saturday, October 21, 2006

Description: A 1977 concept drawing for a space station. Known as the Spider concept, this station was designed to use Space Shuttle hardware. A solar array was to be unwound from the exhausted main fuel tank. The structure could then be formed and assembled in one operation. The main engine tank would then be used as a space operations control center, a Shuttle astronaut crew habitat, and a space operations focal point for missions to the Moon and Mars.

NASA Spider Space Station Concept

For Hi-Res images, click the link: Spider Space Station Concept (GRIN / Great Images in NASA).

For more information about history space station concepts check out the Space Station Concepts of the 1970's.

Friday, October 20, 2006

This digital space art set was created by designer Cristian Gamiddo. On the DeviantART he is known as Dinyctis. Here is a selection of some of his space works. You can click on images for a much larger version. To see more of his work check out his gallery at DeviantART.

Note: All artwork and images copyright © Cristian Gamiddo. Please do not use images without the permission of the artist.

Cristian Gamiddo Digital Space Art Cristian Gamiddo Digital Space Art Cristian Gamiddo Digital Space Art Cristian Gamiddo Digital Space Art Cristian Gamiddo Digital Space Art Cristian Gamiddo Digital Space Art Cristian Gamiddo Digital Space Art Cristian Gamiddo Digital Space Art

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

This digital space art set done by Svinik. I do not know more about him.

Click images view full size:

Digital Space Art by Svinik Digital Space Art by Svinik Digital Space Art by Svinik Digital Space Art by Svinik Digital Space Art by Svinik Digital Space Art by Svinik Digital Space Art by Svinik Digital Space Art by Svinik Digital Space Art by Svinik Digital Space Art by Svinik Digital Space Art by Svinik Digital Space Art by Svinik Digital Space Art by Svinik Digital Space Art by Svinik Digital Space Art by Svinik Digital Space Art by Svinik Digital Space Art by Svinik Digital Space Art by Svinik

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Mechanix Illustrated. April, 1949.

The U.S. is working on plans for a satellite base, Defense Secretary Forrestal reveals. Take a long look at this man-made moon — and learn how it may rule the world.

By Frank Tinsley.

Fortress on a Skyhook (The U.S. is working on plans for a satellite base). Fortress on a Skyhook (The U.S. is working on plans for a satellite base). Fortress on a Skyhook (The U.S. is working on plans for a satellite base). Fortress on a Skyhook (The U.S. is working on plans for a satellite base). Fortress on a Skyhook (The U.S. is working on plans for a satellite base). Fortress on a Skyhook (The U.S. is working on plans for a satellite base).

Link: Fortress on a Skyhook

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Mechanix Illustrated. January, 1956.

All aboard for outer space, the race for the artificial satellite and space flight is on! Is this the ship that will take us to earth’s first manned satellite?

By G. Harry Stine, Viking-Aerobee Operations Engineer, White Sands Proving Grounds.

All aboard for outer space (Is this the ship that will take us to earth’s first manned satellite). All aboard for outer space (Is this the ship that will take us to earth’s first manned satellite). All aboard for outer space (Is this the ship that will take us to earth’s first manned satellite). All aboard for outer space (Is this the ship that will take us to earth’s first manned satellite). All aboard for outer space (Is this the ship that will take us to earth’s first manned satellite). All aboard for outer space (Is this the ship that will take us to earth’s first manned satellite). All aboard for outer space (Is this the ship that will take us to earth’s first manned satellite).

Link: All Aboard for Outer Space

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

William Kenneth Hartmann (born in 1939), is an internationally renowned astronomer, planetary scientist, artist, and writer. He is a member of NASA's Mars Global Surveyor mission team. In 1971-72 he was on the Mariner-9 mission team which first mapped many geological features on Mars. Asteroid number 3341 is named after him in recognition of his planetary research. In 1997 he was the first recipient of the Carl Sagan Medal for Excellence in Public Communication in Planetary Science from the American Astronomical Society, Division for Planetary Sciences. His art work has been featured in many books, magazines, and international exhibits.

William Hartmann has written and illustrated (often collaboratively with Ron Miller) numerous books on the history of Earth and the Solar System. Some of his books and publications include, Moons and Planets, Astronomy: The Cosmic Journey, The Grand Tour: A Travelers Guide to the Solar System, Out of the Cradle, The History of Earth: An Illustrated Chronicle of an Evolving Planet, In The Stream of Stars: The Soviet-American Space Art Book, and others. He has also written two science fiction books, Cities of Gold, and Mars Underground.

William Hartmann has long been one of America's leading space artists. He follows in the tradition of his grandfather, a Swiss landscape painter. His grandfather, Andreas Hartmann, was born in Bretz (Castels), Switzerland in 1868. He grew up in Buchen, worked in Davos, and emigrated to the US in 1892. He produced a large number of oils and watercolors of US landscapes. William Hartmann's astronomical paintings cover a wide variety of themes and are known for their realism and technical accuracy. His paintings are on display in collections in the U.S, Russia, Japan, England, France, and Italy, and have been on exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum. He is a Fellow of the International Association of Astronomical Artists (IAAA).

His website offers a gallery of his paintings, a description of his research work, and information about his books, and publications. Be sure to check out the full catalog of his works. Below are a selection of his space artworks. Click images view full size.

Note: All artwork and images are copyrighted. Please do not use images without the permission.

Link: Bill Hartmann's Home Page