Source: Radio New Zealand
Max Alexander will photographing New Zealand skies, while travelling here this summer. RNZ/Robin Martin
An award-winning New Zealand photographer, who has an asteroid named after him for his work in space sustainability, describes the honour as a “tremendous thrill”.
Papakura-raised, but UK-based Max Alexander is quick to point out his namesake ‘6548 Maxalexander’, discovered in 1988 by Belgian astronomer Henri Debehogne, is no threat to Earth, despite being 12km wide.
“It’s in the asteroid belt, so there’s no need to worry about it,” he said. “It’s the same size as the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, but you don’t need to wear a hard hat to work tomorrow – it’s all fine.”
The former New Plymouth Boys’ High School student describes himself as a science communication specialist, who uses visual storytelling to get messages across.
He said the timing of the International Astronomical Union honour – which followed a nomination from a former professor of his at the University Collage of London – was interesting, as his current work involved illustrating “planetary defence”.
Two hours before dawn, the sunlit trails of constellations of Orion, Taurus and the Milky Way are captured individually, using long-exposure photography. Max Alexander
“Deflecting asteroids is the only natural disaster you can do something about,” he said. “You can’t do anything about an earthquake or a volcano here in Taranaki, or a tsunami or whatever, but an asteroid, you can deflect it.”
Alexander explained NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission a few years ago had successfully changed the orbit of the asteroid Dimorphos.
“I’m involved with the Hera mission – the European Space Agency’s follow up mission – that will go and characterise the impact crater from the American DART mission, which fired a 600kg mass at the asteroid and managed to deflect it very successfully.”
Alexander said the work was important work, because one day an asteroid would need to be deflected from its orbit, as it had a chance of hitting the Earth.
“Importantly, there’s an asteroid called 2024 YR4 and, in 2032, it has a 4 percent chance of hitting the moon. That probability is likely too high for NASA, so they may be deflecting that asteroid.”
The photographer, who trained at the Wellington Polytechnic School of Design, would take pictures of efforts to protect the Earth from asteroids, so-called “planetary defence”.
The work included photographing the people and facilities at the forefront of this important project, and also impact craters around the world over the next two years.
It would culminate in an exhibition, also featuring still and video images taken from the RAMSES spacecraft, which will accompany Apophis, a 375m asteroid, as it safely passes close to Earth in 2029.
This hypervelocity impact test hangs like a piece of art in the home of Donald Kessler. In the 1970s, Kessler and colleague Burt Cour-Palais studied the build-up of space debris in Earth’s orbit. Max Alexander
Alexander said he was working as a freelance commercial/editorial photographer in Britain, when a trip to shoot the Northern Lights awakened an interest in astronomy and astrophysics, which he subsequently studied at University College London.
“I sort of changed career paths from then, and so now I specialise in the astronomy sector for international and inter-governmental organisations, and also the space industry, the UK Space Agency, European Space Agency.
“I’m a commissioned photographer for them, but also run my own projects as well, mainly about environmentalism for space, how we’re now starting to pollute space and what are we doing about the problem space sustainability.”
Alexander said much of his work was artistic in nature and the exhibition ‘Our Fragile Space’, put together over three years, was shown at the UN General Assembly and the Lloyds Building, and would soon be exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts Courtyard in London.
Aluminium scrap piled high at a junkyard at Andalusia, Spain. Most of the debris in space is made of aluminum and there is about 10,000 tonnes of it up there. Max Alexander
It had been credited with influencing European space policy and contributing to the UK government’s creation of ISAM (In-orbit, Servicing, Assembly and Manufacture), which Alexander described as a policy of moving towards a circular-economy in space.
“There are studies showing that, in 10 years’ time, there will likely be 10 times the number of satellites in Low Earth Orbit from 10,000 to 100,000, which is the trajectory we’re currently on.
“This is the trend. You could end up affecting the delicate balance of the upper atmosphere.”
Essentially, satellites breaking up while re-entering Earth’s atmosphere released particles that could impact atmospheric chemistry and potentially slowing the repair of the ozone layer, for example.
A Space X Falcon 9 rocket heads for orbit, leaving a trail of exhaust vapours behind it. The effect of these gases in our atmosphere is now a subject for environmental investigation. Max Alexander
Alexander, whose work also showcased the benefits of the space programme, said he favoured “an everything in moderation” approach.
“We need to become good stewards of the near-space environment, to be more sustainable in space. One tangible example would be to refuel satellites.
“Satellites, as soon as they run out of fuel, that’s the end of them and they’re not just floating around. They’re travelling at tremendous velocities – you’ve essentially created space debris.
“To address the problem today, you could refuel them, you could extend the life of these missions. You could try and recycle the materials.”
As part of the ‘Our Fragile Space’ exhibition, Alexander took long-exposure photographs of the sky to illustrate the number of satellites in space and used his access in the sector to secure images of examples of material sent into orbit, creating a visual representation illustrating the potential amount of space debris already existing.
Spanish astronomer Amelia Bayo contemplates the Milky Way in the Atacama Desert, Chile. Max Alexander
His work on the project – in collaboration with Steve Kelly and Stuart Clark – was recognised with the Sir Arthur Clarke Space Achievement Team Media Award (2025), presented by the British Interplanetary Society.
Alexander also had the unique experience of teaching British astronaut Tim Peake how to take photographs while he was aboard the International Space Station.
“I photographed him during his training at different times and he was very interested in my cameras, because the same Nikon cameras were on the International Space Station.
“After some informal training, he invited me to go on his email list and to give him training when he was on the space station. I waited about a month, just so he’d got settled in, sent him an email, and then we then went through the process and the technical requirements of shooting from space.”
Alexander said they discussed good photography practice, both technical and aesthetics, and applying that to working in zero and microgravity.
“The European Space Agency ended up publishing all those emails and notes, and they asked me to choose my favourite 20 pictures that he took. He got very well known for his photography.
“I don’t want to take the credit – he very quickly took to being a photographer in space.”
Alexander said he would turn his camera towards New Zealand skies for his latest project, while travelling here over the summer, but would also bask in the honour of having an asteroid named after him – at the same time as Polynesian navigator Tupaia, who sailed on the Endeavour with James Cook, no less.
“I’m extremely proud of it, absolutely,” he said. “It’s very motivating for my work to have that asteroid named after me.
“My family is going to make me an asteroid-themed cake down in Christchurch, I’ve been told, to mark the event, with sparklers and all sorts.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
