Psyche Inspired: Carrie Geisler

Carrie Geisler Headshot

Institution: Princeton University

Major: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Psyche Inspired Class: 2024-2025

The front of the card shows a Falcon-9 rocket launch with layers of exhaust clouds colored to match the Psyche logo. The word “PSYCHE” is written down the side. The card is opened and the Psyche spacecraft unfolds and pops out of the middle. Behind the spacecraft layered paper recreates the rough and cratered surface of the asteroid.

Expect the Unexpected

Carrie Geisler

November 1st, 2024

Major: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Genre/Medium: Papercraft – Pop-up Card

About the work:

One of the things I love the most about space exploration is that every mission makes new discoveries which are completely unexpected. This project, entitled “Expect the Unexpected,” is a twist and pop card intended to encapsulate the amazing and unexpected discoveries we will make at the Psyche asteroid. From the front of the card, representing the launch, you don’t know what awaits, but once you open it, representing the arrival at the asteroid, stunning surprises jump out. I deliberately chose papers of different colors, textures and weights to give each part of the card an accurate and eye-catching appearance. I also cut detailed shapes out of each paper using my school’s laser cutter and drawing files which I created myself. Read more…

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The doll is seated. She has pale skin and wears a variegated purple dress. The skirt of the dress has the shape of flower petals. She has long, curly brown hair that cascades down to the floor, and large white wings peak out from behind it. The asteroid is an oblong shape and an overall gray color with spots of white and brown. It has embroidered craters which protrude from the surface.

Imagining Psyche Through Crochet

Carrie Geisler

January 17th, 2025

Major: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Genre/Medium: Crochet/Amigurumi

About the work:

This project, entitled “Imagining Psyche through Crochet,” is a crochet interpretation of the Psyche asteroid and Psyche goddess. It’s my hope that this project will catch the eye of children, especially young girls, and help them learn about the Psyche mission, perhaps inspiring them to pursue a career in STEM.

For my abstract model of the 16 Psyche asteroid, I followed the Full Moon Crochet Pattern by Etsy shop catsscrochet and put my own spin on it by choosing a gray and brown variegated yarn to reflect the metallic elements that make up Psyche. I also embroidered the craters using a mixture of red-brown and dark grey yarn to represent the unknown surface of the asteroid.

For my crochet doll of the Psyche goddess, I primarily followed the Twinkle Faries Crochet Doll Pattern by Etsy shop PocketFullOPoseys, but I also incorporated parts of the Rapunzel and Pascal Crochet doll pattern by Etsy shop FennecToysUA to create her long, flowing curls. I used a purple variegated yarn for her dress and sparkling magenta safety eyes to reflect the colors of the Psyche mission patch. Special thanks to the pattern creators mentioned above and my grandma, who taught me to crochet.

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The front of the card asks the question “How big is Psyche?”. When the card unfolds, it expands to three times its original size. Colored panels in the middle make up the Psyche spacecraft. Two larger panels on either side give facts about Psyche’s size and weight, stating that the spacecraft weighs as much as four cows, and is the size of a tennis court with its solar arrays extended.

How Big IS Psyche?

Carrie Geisler

April 9th, 2025

Major: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Genre/Medium: Papercraft/ Pop-up Card

About the work:

This project, entitled “How Big IS Psyche?,” is a double tri-shutter card which, much like the Psyche spacecraft, unfolds to be surprisingly large! When closed, the card features only the project title. Open it up, and the card expands to approximately three times its original size to display the Psyche spacecraft surrounded by fun facts about its unexpected size and weight. These fun facts answer the title question by comparing Psyche to the size and weight of everyday objects like a tennis court and an elephant!

The color scheme of the card is inspired by the Psyche mission patch. The background features color gradient paper reminiscent of both the mission patch and our galaxy and is intended to be an artistic interpretation of the space environment Psyche is traveling through. The spacecraft itself is made up of metallic silver paper for the bus, and a deep purple glitter paper for the solar arrays. The fun facts are organized on bright color blocks on either side of the spacecraft to help them stand out, and separated into size and weight.

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The square board features spaces along the outer edges with asteroids in groups of two or three differentiated by color. The corners of the board are special spaces including “GO,” the launch pad, a gravity assist, and a space that sends you to the launch pad. Accessories including colorful cash, small figurines of the Psyche spacecraft as playing pieces, dice, and two types of action cards.

A Trip Around the Solar System

Carrie Geisler

Major: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Genre/Medium: Board Game/ Papercraft

About the work:

Take “A Trip Around the Asteroid Belt” in this Psyche-inspired version of a classic family board game! Travel the asteroid belt on the Psyche spacecraft and collect scientific data on as many asteroids as you can along the way! Gain research funding when others visit the asteroids that you’re studying and use that money to gain data points and discoveries that make your research even more valuable! Earn rewards for completing mission goals and contend with common challenges of space missions from schedule slips to instrument malfunctions. But be careful not to get stuck waiting on the launch pad for your next mission!

The game board includes 22 of the largest asteroids in the asteroid belt, as well as the planets Mars and Jupiter, whose orbits are found on either side of the asteroid belt. It also includes the four main instruments onboard the Psyche spacecraft, and spaces which direct you to perform an action or take an action card. Action cards describe things such as completing science objectives of the Psyche mission or suffering a mission misfortune such as having to push back the launch date. The game was designed with the colors of the mission logo in mind, and the board folds up for easy storage!

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The Psyche badge with no words on it.

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