Psyche Inspired: Samantha Manley

Person with blonde hair in a red top stands outside, smiling, with trees and a house in the background

Institution: Ringling College of Art and Design
Major: Illustration
Psyche Inspired Class: 2025-2026

Reflections on Psyche Inspired

Reflections on Project 1: Mission Psyche: Character Designs

“Mission: Psyche Character Designs” shows 3 crew members for a Psyche-inspired video game. One being the Pilot, holding her helmet. She has black hair and a necklace of the Psyche logo. Another character is the Systems Engineer. A man with black hair, writing in a book. He has a satchel with the logo. The last character is the Flight Surgeon. A broad man with blonde hair, briefcase in hand.

Mission Psyche: Character Designs

Samantha Manley

January 7th, 2026
Major: Illustration
Genre/Medium: Digital
About the work: 

Just as ancient cartographers filled the uncharted edges of their seafaring maps with drawings of sea monsters and dragons, modern designers of vehicles traveling to other planets confront a legion of hazards, both imagined and real” (How to Land on an Alien World, Lorenz). This one line inspired the idea for my Psyche mission video game, which would combine fantasy cartographers with the science behind the Psyche mission. Aiming to integrate STEM concepts with games to help educate a broader audience regarding NASA’s research. The game would have you play as a member of an astro-cartography team whose recent mission is to map their journey to Psyche as well as the surface of the asteroid itself. Along the the player would learn about the mission through field studies as well as collectible research note pages. Read more…

Gallery View: Mission Psyche – Character Designs

Reflections on Project 2: Mission Psyche: Cartographer’s Map

“Mission Psyche: Cartographer’s Map” shows the solar system through an old cartographic map. The sun is in the center, accompanied by a banner with the word “Sol.” Around the sun are the planets’ orbits. Each planet has a banner with its name. Near Earth, we see the Psyche spacecraft following a dotted line that leads around Mars and to the Asteroid Belt, the location of the Psyche Asteroid.

Mission Psyche: Cartographer’s Map

Samantha Manley

February 11th, 2026
Major: Illustration
Genre/Medium: Digital
About the Work: 

Just as ancient cartographers filled the uncharted edges of their seafaring maps with drawings of sea monsters and dragons, modern designers of vehicles traveling to other planets confront a legion of hazards, both imagined and real,” (How to Land on an Alien World, Lorenz). This one line inspired the idea behind my Psyche mission video game, a game that would combine fantasy cartographers with the science behind the Psyche mission. Aiming to combine STEM concepts with games to help educate a broader audience regarding NASA’s research. The game would have you play as a member of an astro-cartography team, whose recent mission is to map their journey to Psyche as well as the surface of the asteroid itself. Along the way, the player would learn about the mission through field studies as well as collectible research note pages. Read more…

Gallery View: Mission Psyche – Cartographer’s Map

Reflections on Project 3: Mission Psyche: Spacecraft Journal Entry

“Mission Psyche: Spacecraft Journal Entry” depicts the Psyche spacecraft alongside a breakdown of its instruments as though it were a page out of a cartographer’s journal. In the top left corner, it has the name of the spacecraft as well as its launch/arrival date. Above the middle of the page is a drawing of Psyche. Below that, as well as in the top right corner, are Psyche’s various instruments.

Mission Psyche: Spacecraft Journal Entry

Samantha Manley

April 8th, 2026
Major: Illustration
Genre/Medium: Digital
About the Work: 

“Just as ancient cartographers filled the uncharted edges of their seafaring maps with drawings of sea monsters and dragons, modern designers of vehicles traveling to other planets confront a legion of hazards, both imagined and real,” (How to Land on an Alien World, Lorenz). This one line inspired the idea behind my Psyche mission video game, a game that combines fantasy cartography with the science behind the Psyche mission. Aiming to combine STEM concepts with games to help educate a broader audience regarding NASA’s research. The game would have you play as a member of an astro-cartography team, whose recent mission is to map their journey to Psyche as well as the surface of the asteroid itself. Along the way, the player would learn about the mission through field studies as well as collectible research note pages. Read more…

Gallery View: Mission Psyche – Spacecraft Journal Entry

Reflections on Project 4: Mission Psyche: The Arrival

“Mission Psyche: The Arrival” is a full illustration showing a cartographer filling out the details of his map to Psyche. Through the window, you can see the Psyche Asteroid as well as the Psyche spacecraft. The cartographer himself is sitting at his desk inside his own spacecraft, which blends wood, metal, and various machinery to create a unique, ship cabin- spacecraft environment.

Mission Psyche: The Arrival

Samantha Manley

April 10th, 2026

Major: Illustration

Genre/Medium: Digital

About the Work:

“Just as ancient cartographers filled the uncharted edges of their seafaring maps with drawings of sea monsters and dragons, modern designers of vehicles traveling to other planets confront a legion of hazards, both imagined and real” (How to Land on an Alien World, Lorenz). This one line inspired the idea behind my Psyche mission video game, a game that would combine fantasy cartographers with the science behind the Psyche mission. Aiming to combine STEM concepts with games to help educate a broader audience regarding NASA’s research. The game would have you play as a member of an astro-cartography team, whose recent mission is to map their journey to Psyche as well as the surface of the asteroid itself. Along the way, the player would learn about the mission through field studies as well as collectible research note pages. Read more…

Gallery View: Mission Psyche – The Arrival

The Psyche badge with no words on it.

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