Psyche Inspired: Abhigyaan Deep

Smiling person in a red sweater holding a large novelty mallet shaped like a peanut, with a building and flag in the background

Institution: Iowa State University
Major: Aerospace Engineering & Cyber-Physical Systems
Psyche Inspired Class: 2025-2026

Reflections on Psyche Inspired

Reflections on Project 1: Farewell

A spacecraft drifts away from Earth into deep space. Earth appears small in the distance with a faint Moon beside it. The Psyche probe sits in the lower right of the canvas, heading outward into darkness. Stars scatter the background, emphasizing the quiet, lonely moment of separation.

Farewell

abhigyaan Deep

January 5th, 2026
Major: Aerospace Engineering & Cyber-Physical Systems
Genre/Medium: Acrylic Painting
About the Work: 

Farewell, little blue marble.

Farewell is an acrylic painting that reflects on one of the most emotional moments in any deep-space mission: a point in time when the spacecraft has been separated from its booster for a while and begins its solitary journey into the vast, silent dark, well beyond Earth. It’s a moment defined by contrast, nominal in the aerospace lingo, yet profoundly human. Mission controllers may observe telemetry scroll across their monitors, confirming the craft’s health, orientation, and trajectory. Still, beneath that reassuring data lingers a quiet truth: once it slips into the outer reaches of space, no human may ever lay eyes on that machine again. The vehicle becomes both a triumph of engineering and a phantom, continuing its mission out of sight. Read more… 

Gallery View: Farewell

Reflections on Project 2: Psyche Interactive

Psyche Interactive is a browser-based experience guiding users through NASA’s Psyche mission. Hear descriptions of the spacecraft and its components, follow launch and flight sequences, learn about the DSOC laser communications, and explore the asteroid by creating and orbiting your own design.

Psyche Interactive

ABHIGYAAN DEEP

March 3rd, 2026
Major: AeroSpace Engineering
Genre/Medium: TypeScript, GLSL, React
About the work:

Psyche Interactive is a browser-based, landscape-first experience that documents NASA’s Psyche mission from launch to arrival at its target asteroid. Built in TypeScript with React for the 2D interface and Three.js/WebGL for 3D visualizations, it’s designed to give users both an educational and immersive journey through one of space exploration’s most ambitious missions.

The experience begins on Earth, centered on the launch site at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Users are introduced to the Falcon 9 rocket carrying Psyche, with sequential cards displaying real launch footage as the vehicle ascends into orbit. These cards visually trace the rocket’s trajectory, giving a sense of scale and motion while guiding the user through the early stages of the mission. Read more…

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Gallery View: Psyche Interactive

Reflections on Project 3: The Making of Psyche

A glowing orange asteroid floats in dark space filled with small stars. A bright molten trail wraps around it in a loop, forming a ring like a fiery orbit. At the bottom of the image, large bold white text reads “THE MAKING OF PSYCHE.” The scene feels intense and dramatic against the black background.

The Making of Psyche

Abhigyaan Deep

March 20th, 2026

Major: Aerospace Engineering & Cyber-Physical Systems

Genre/Medium: Blender and Figma

About the Work:

The Making of Psyche is a real simulation-inspired Blender rendering that explores transformation, creation, and identity through cosmic imagery. To the right of the artwork is a molten, asteroid-like object glowing with intense heat, suspended in the emptiness of space. Surrounding it is a bright, fiery trail that orbits the body, forming a ring of energy and motion.

The title references Psyche, the real asteroid in our solar system believed to be rich in metal and shaped by violent collisions. At the same time, it points toward the human psyche: the mind, the self, and the unseen forces that shape who we become. This piece blends both meanings, suggesting that creation is not clean or peaceful, but often forged through pressure, impact, and change. Read more…

Gallery View: The Making of Psyche

Reflections on Project 4: A Shot in the Dark

An artistic interpretation of asteroid Psyche shows a rough, muted surface rather than a shiny metal one. It appears dusty and uneven, with shallow craters suggesting impacts over time. The texture hints at a mix of metal and debris, reflecting age and uncertainty, rather than clearly revealing what lies beneath.

A Shot In the Dark

AbhiGyaan Deep

Major: Aerospace Engineering & Cyber-Physical Systems

Genre/Medium: Blender

About the Work:

A Shot in the Dark is my interpretation of what Psyche might look like today, informed primarily by the overall geometry suggested by “Psyche: A Mesosiderite-Like Asteroid?” by M. Viikinkoski et. al, with a healthy mix of speculative art, this work explores the possibility that, although Psyche is highly metallic, it may also host a significant layer of regolith-like material across its surface.

Rather than depicting a smooth, reflective body, the form embraces irregularity and subtle complexity. The surface appears muted and granular, suggesting a mixture of metal and dust that softens reflectivity and obscures what lies beneath. This interpretation aligns with the idea that Psyche’s exterior may not fully reveal its metallic interior, instead presenting a weathered, accumulated layer shaped by impacts and time. Read more…

Gallery View: A Shot in the Dark

The Psyche badge with no words on it.

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Psyche Inspired