Jan 24, 2014 6:30 AM

Gallery: Look Into the Futuristic Labs Where Satellites Are Born

Photos by Greg White
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These pictures by Greg White give us a glimpse into the places where satellites are built.
Photos by Greg White
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The shoot was commissioned by Audi Magazine for a feature about the British space industry, a project that took White to Astrium Ltd. and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, two satellite components makers in southern England.

Photos by Greg White
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It's often hard to get a sense of what, exactly, it is you’re looking it in the pictures–and that’s very much the point.
Photos by Greg White
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White says he deliberately keeps the framing tight, “not showing too much, to keep an inquisitive view of a machine or area.”

Photos by Greg White
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For these sorts of shoots, White relies on a large format camera, an equipment choice that “slows down the process of capturing the images” and “makes you think more about what to shoot and how to do it,” he explains.
Photos by Greg White
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Here, a scene from an anechoic chamber at Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.

Photos by Greg White
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These types of rooms are designed to absorb electromagnetic waves, allowing for precise testing of communications equipment.
Photos by Greg White
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All the environments where the satellite components are manufactured and assembled are clean rooms.

Photos by Greg White
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That means airlock doors, sophisticated filtration systems, and a uniform of overcoats, shoe-covers, and hair nets.
Photos by Greg White
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Men even have to wear beard nets.

Photos by Greg White
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It all amounts to a sterile, sci-fi tableau–one perfectly suited for taking photographs.
Photos by Greg White
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“Apart from having to wear a hairnet, it was a pleasure to be in there with nice even light and constant temperatures,” White says.

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