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By Space Force
In partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory, the United States Space Force is currently accepting proposals for USSF University Consortium/Space Strategic Technology Institute 4, focused on Advanced Remote Sensing.
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By NASA
Following eight months of intense research, design, and prototyping, six university teams presented their “Inflatable Systems for Lunar Operations” concepts to a panel of judges at NASA’s 2024 Breakthrough, Innovative and Game-Changing (BIG) Idea Challenge forum.
The challenge, funded by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and Office of STEM Engagement, seeks novel ideas from higher education on a new topic each year and supports the agency’s Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative in developing new approaches and innovative technologies to pave the way for successful exploration on the surface of the Moon. This year, teams were asked to develop low Size, Weight, and Power inflatable technologies, structures and systems that could benefit future Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond.
Taking top honors at this year’s forum receiving the Artemis Award was Northwestern University with National Aerospace Corporation & IMS Engineered Products, with their concept titled METALS: Metallic Expandable Technology for Artemis Lunar Structures. The Artemis Award is given to the team whose concept has the best potential to contribute to and be integrated into an Artemis mission.
The Northwestern University BIG Idea Challenge team developed METALS, an inflatable metal concept for long-term storage of cryogenic fluid on the Moon. The concept earned the Artemis Award, top honors in NASA’s 2024 BIG Idea Challenge.Credit: National Institute of Aerospace The Artemis Award is a generous recognition of the potential impact that our work can have. We hope it can be a critical part of the Artemis Program moving forward. We’re exceptionally grateful to have the opportunity to engage directly with NASA in research for the Artemis Program in such a direct way while we’re still students.”
Julian Rocher
Team co-lead for Northwestern University
METALS is an inflatable system for long term cryogenic fluid storage on the Moon. Stacked layers of sheet metal are welded along their aligned edges, stacked inside a rocket, and inflated once on the lunar surface. The manufacturing process is scalable, reliable, and simple. Notably, METALS boasts superior performance in the harsh lunar environment, including resistance against radiation, abrasion, micrometeorites, gas permeability, and temperature extremes.
Northwestern University team members pose with lunar inflatable prototypes from their METALS project in NASA’s 2024 BIG Idea Challenge. Credit: Northwestern University We learned to ask the right questions, and we learned to question what is the status quo and to go above and beyond and think outside the box. It’s a special mindset for everyone to have on this team… it’s what forces us to innovate.”
Trevor Abbott
Team co-lead for Northwestern University
Arizona State University took home the 2024 BIG Idea Challenge Systems Engineering prize for their project, AEGIS: Inflatable Lunar Landing Pad System. The AEGIS system is designed to deflect the exhaust gasses of lunar landers thereby reducing regolith disturbances generated during landing. The system is deployed on the lunar surface where it uses 6 anchors in its base to secure itself to the ground. Once inflated to its deployed size of 14 m in diameter, AEGIS provides a reusable precision landing zone for incoming landers.
Arizona State University earned the Systems Engineering prize for their BIG Idea Challenge project: AEGIS: Inflatable Lunar Landing Pad System. Arizona State University
This year’s forum was held in tandem with the Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium’s (LSIC) Fall Meeting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where students had the opportunity to network with NASA and industry experts, attend LSIC panels and presentations, and participate in the technical poster session. The consortium provides a forum for NASA to communicate technological requirements, needs, and opportunities, and for the community to share with NASA existing capabilities and critical gaps.
We felt that hosting this year’s BIG Idea Forum in conjunction with the LSIC Fall Meeting would be an exciting opportunity for these incredibly talented students to network with today’s aerospace leaders in government, industry, and academia. Their innovative thinking and novel contributions are critical skills required for the successful development of the technologies that will drive exploration on the Moon and beyond.”
Niki Werkheiser
Director of Technology Maturation in NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate
In February, teams submitted proposal packages, from which six finalists were selected for funding of up to $150,000 depending on each team’s prototype and budget. The finalists then worked for eight months designing, developing, and demonstrating their concepts. The 2024 BIG Idea program concluded at its annual forum, where teams presented their results and answered questions from judges. Experts from NASA, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, and other aerospace companies evaluated the student concepts based on technical innovation, credibility, management, and the teams’ verification testing. In addition to the presentation, the teams provided a technical paper and poster detailing their proposed inflatable system for lunar operations.
Year after year, BIG Idea student teams spend countless hours working on tough engineering design challenges. Their dedication and ‘game-changing’ ideas never cease to amaze me. They all have bright futures ahead of them.”
David Moore
Program Director for NASA’s Game Changing Development program
Second-year mechanical engineering student Connor Owens, left, and electrical engineering graduate student Sarwan Shah run through how they’ll test the sheath-and-auger anchor for the axial vertical pull test of the base anchor in a former shower room in Sun Devil Hall. Image credit: Charlie Leight/ASU News The University of Maryland BIG Idea Challenge team’s Auxiliary Inflatable Wheels for Lunar Rover project in a testing environment University of Maryland Students from University of Michigan and a component of their Cargo-BEEP (Cargo Balancing Expandable Exploration Platform) projectUniversity of Michigan Northwestern University welders prepare to work on their 2024 BIG Idea Challenge prototype, a metal inflatable designed for deployment on the Moon.Northwestern University Brigham Young University’s Untethered and Modular Inflatable Robots for Lunar Operations projectBrigham Young University California Institute of Technology’s PILLARS: Plume-deployed Inflatable for Launch and Landing Abrasive Regolith Shielding projectCalifornia Institute of Technology The Inflatable Systems for Lunar Operations theme allowed teams to submit various technology concepts such as soft robotics, deployable infrastructure components, emergency shelters or other devices for extended extravehicular activities, pressurized tunnels and airlocks, and debris shields and dust protection systems. National Institute of Aerospace NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate sponsors the BIG Idea Challenge through a collaboration between its Game Changing Development program and the agency’s Office of STEM Engagement. It is managed by a partnership between the National Institute of Aerospace and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.
Team presentations, technical papers, and digital posters are available on the BIG Idea website.
For full competition details, visit: https://bigidea.nianet.org/2024-challenge
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By NASA
5 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Candeska Cikana Community College uses selective laser sintering, a type of 3D-printing in which heat and pressure form specific structures using layers of powdered material. Shown here, a student works to remove excess material, in this case a powdered form of nylon with carbon fibers, to reveal a prototype of the “Mapi Hapa,” or “sky shoe.” Candeska Cikana Community College Human exploration on the lunar surface is no small feat. It requires technologists and innovators from all walks of life to tackle many challenges, including feet.
From designing astronaut boots, addressing hazardous Moon dust, and researching new ways to land on Mars, NASA is funding valuable research through M-STAR (Minority University Research and Education Project’s (MUREP) Space Technology Artemis Research). The M-STAR program provides opportunities for students and faculty at Minority Serving Institutions to participate in space technology development through capacity building and research grants. With more than $11.5 million awarded since 2020, M-STAR aims to ensure NASA isn’t leaving any potential solution behind.
Best Foot Forward
Nicholas Bitner from Candeska Cikana Community College, left, and Jesse Rhoades from the University of North Dakota (UND), right, are pictured in UND’s BiPed lab, where their students test and capture motion data for the Mapi Hapa. Walter Criswell, UND Today Supportive boots are required for astronauts who will perform long duration Artemis missions on the Moon. With astronaut foot health in mind, students and faculty of North Dakota’s Candeska Cikana Community College in Fort Totten and the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks are designing a solution for extravehicular activity Moon boots. The project, called Mapi Hapa, proposes a 3D printed device that helps astronauts achieve the range of motion that takes place in the ankle when you draw your toe back towards the shin.
Candeska Cikana Community College is a tribal college that serves the Spirit Lake Nation, including the Dakota, Lakota, Sisseton, Wahpeton, and Yanktonai peoples.
Nicholas Bitner, an instructor at Candeska Cikana and graduate student at the University of North Dakota, notes the unique skills that tribal students possess. “Their perspective, which is unlike that of any other student body, thrives on building with their hands and taking time to make decisions.”
Bitner also attributes many opportunities and successes of their program to M-STAR and its partnership which exemplifies the dire importance of consistent funding.
“Given the relationships, we have been able to expand our capabilities and our lab, but it has also given us funding. We were able to hire all our students in the engineering department as lab technicians. So, they get paid to do the research that they are a part of, and not only do they have that psychological ownership, but they also have a good paying job that looks nice on their resumes.”
In addition to addressing astronaut foot health, M-STAR funding is helping develop solutions to combat lunar regolith, or Moon dust, which can damage landers, spacesuits, and human lungs, if inhaled.
Lunar Dust Development
With M-STAR, New Mexico State University in Las Cruces developed affordable, reliable lunar regolith simulants to help test lunar surface technologies. The team also designed testing facilities that mimic environmental conditions on the Moon.
New Mexico State has already started sharing their simulants, including with a fellow M-STAR awardee. An M-STAR project selected in 2023 from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne uses the simulants to help test their experience in smart agriculture to test applications for crop production on the Moon.
University of Maryland, Eastern Shore explores the possibility of growing crops in lunar regolith by mixing varying proportions of lunar regolith simulant, horse manure, and potting soil. The lunar regolith simulant was provided by fellow M-STAR awardee at New Mexico State University in in Las Cruces.Stephanie Yeldell/NASA Douglas Cortez, associate professor in civil engineering at New Mexico State, believes different perspectives are essential to maximizing solutions.
“There are hundreds of people working at Minority Serving Institutions that are used to looking at the world in a completely different way,” said Cortez. “When they start looking at the same problem and parameters, they come up with very different solutions.”
As we look to sustainable presence on the Moon, NASA also has its sights set on Mars and M-STAR is helping develop technologies to inform crewed Martian exploration.
Stick the Landing
San Diego State University in California was awarded funding for research on Mars entry, descent, and landing technologies. The team aims to achieve optimal trajectory by developing onboard algorithms that guide vehicles to descent autonomously.
The M-STAR research opportunities have been invaluable to students like Chris Davami and his teammates working to develop improved methods to land on Mars.
Christopher Davami, who supported San Diego State University’s 2021 M-STAR project, is pictured here at NASA’s Langley Research Center, where he was selected for internships supporting research in aeroelasticity, atmospheric flight, and entry systems research.NASA “I would definitely not have been able to have these opportunities with NASA if it weren’t for M-STAR,” said Davami. “M-STAR helped pay for my education, which helped me save a lot in student loans. I probably wouldn’t be going to graduate school right now if I did not have this opportunity. This program enabled me to keep pursuing my research and continue doing what I love.”
Following his contributions to the M-STAR-funded project, Davami was awarded a NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunity in 2023 on his work in autonomous end-to-end trajectory planning and guidance constrained entry and precision power decent.
Through efforts like M-STAR, NASA aims to seed the future workforce and prepare colleges and universities to win other NASA research opportunities. When it comes to the advancement of space technology, people of different backgrounds and skillsets are needed to achieve what was once known as impossible. Not only can the diversification of ideas spark fundamental innovations in space, but it can also help students apply these technological advancements to solving problems here on Earth.
To learn more about M-STAR visit:
https://go.nasa.gov/442k76s
by: Gabrielle Thaw, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate
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By NASA
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
NASA operations engineer Daniel Velasquez, left, is reviewing the Mobile Vertipad Sensor Package system as part of the Air Mobility Pathways test project at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Oct. 17, 2023.NASA/Steve Freeman Lee esta historia en Español aquí.
Born and raised in Peru, Daniel Velasquez moved to the United States when was 10 years old. While that decision was a big transition for his family, it also created many opportunities for him. Now Velasquez is an operations engineer for NASA’s Air Mobility Pathfinders project at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.
Velasquez develops flight test plans for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, specifically testing how they perform during various phases of flight, such as taxi, takeoff, cruise, approach, and landing. He was drawn to NASA Armstrong because of the legacy in advancing flight research and the connection to the Space Shuttle program.
“Being part of a center with such a rich history in supporting space missions and cutting-edge aeronautics was a major motivation for me,” Velasquez said. “One of the biggest highlights of my career has been the opportunity to meet (virtually) and collaborate with an astronaut on a possible future NASA project.”
Daniel Velasquez stands next to the main entrance sign at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, in 2022.Daniel Velasquez Velasquez is incredibly proud of his Latino background because of its rich culture, strong sense of community and connection to his parents. “My parents are my biggest inspiration. They sacrificed so much to ensure my siblings and I could succeed, leaving behind the comfort of their home and family in Peru to give us better opportunities,” Velasquez said. “Their hard work and dedication motivate me every day. Everything I do is to honor their sacrifices and show them that their efforts weren’t wasted. I owe all my success to them.”
Velasquez began his career at NASA in 2021 as an intern through the Pathways Internship Program while he was studying aerospace engineering at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Through that program, he learned about eVTOL modeling software called NASA Design and Analysis of Rotorcraft to create a help guide for other NASA engineers to reference when they worked with the software.
At the same time, he is also a staff sergeant in the U.S Army Reserves and responsible for overseeing the training and development of junior soldiers during monthly assemblies. He plans, creates, and presents classes for soldiers to stay up-to-date and refine their skills while supervising practical exercises, after action reviews, and gathering lessons learned during trainings.
Daniel Velasquez graduated in 2023 from Rutgers University in New Jersey while he was an intern at NASA. Behind him is the New York City skyline.Daniel Velasquez “This job is different than what I do day-to-day at NASA, but it has helped me become a more outspoken individual,” he said. “Being able to converse with a variety of people and be able to do it well is a skill that I acquired and refined while serving my country.”
Velasquez said he never imagined working for NASA as it was something he had only seen in movies and on television, but he is so proud to be working for the agency after all the hard work and sacrifices he made that lead him to this point. “I am incredibly proud to work every day with some of the most motivated and dedicated individuals in the industry.”
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Last Updated Oct 16, 2024 Related Terms
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By NASA
1 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Dr. Benjamin Malphrus, executive director of the Space Science Center at Morehead State University, left, listens as NASA Glenn Center Director Dr. Jimmy Kenyon talks about NASA’s exploration efforts.Credit: Morehead State University NASA’s Glenn Research Center Director Dr. Jimmy Kenyon met with students and faculty at Morehead State University (MSU) in Kentucky on Sept. 19. Kenyon provided the keynote address on the topic of NASA’s exploration efforts and regional economic impact during the ASTRA-Con (Appalachian Space Technology & Research Advancement Conference). He also moderated a panel, which included Blue Origin’s Orbital Reef Lead Dr. Randy Lillard, MSU’s Dr. Pamela Clark (formerly of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Goddard Space Flight Center), and Glenn European Service Module Manager Logan Larson.
Morehead State University (MSU)’s Dr. Benjamin Malphrus, right, shows NASA Glenn Center Director Dr. Jimmy Kenyon and others on tour the anechoic (echo-free) chamber used in support of MSU’s 21-meter Deep Space Network. Credit: Morehead State University Dr. Benjamin Malphrus, executive director of the Space Science Center at MSU, provided Kenyon, along with House Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Hal Rogers’ staff and members of industry, with a tour of the space center and its capabilities. Kenyon learned about MSU’s space systems engineering program where students gain hands-on experience designing, constructing, and testing satellites before they launch into space.
Members of NASA Glenn’s Technology Transfer Office also staffed an informative exhibit during the conference.
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