Feb.2, 2015 | By Simon

Within the last year, some of the most exciting announcements to come out of the world of 3D printing have been centered around various efforts being done by Made in Space to send additive manufacturing technology to the International Space Station and ultimately, space.  Their Zero-G 3D Printer has been making the rounds in the news since it was shipped up to the International Space Station in the early fall of 2014.  Since then, astronauts have been printing a collection of sample tools and parts to test the capabilities of 3D printing in space...including the famous “3D Printed Wrench” that was sent via email from Earth to the International Space Station.

But as exciting as the recent news surrounding 3D printing in space has been, it is ultimately the young designers and engineers of tomorrow who will be the ones actually designing for space manufacturing purposes once the technology - and space exploration - really kicks in.

To help spark some interest in tomorrow’s designers and engineers, students ranging in age from both grades K-5 and middle/high school teenagers were asked to design a new space tool as a part of the Space Tool Challenge, the first in the series of Future Engineers 3D Printing challenges for students who are interested in designing solutions for real-world space exploration challenges using 3D printing.   

After three months of iterating on their designs and 3D modeling, the students recently presented their work to a panel of judges including those from NASA, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Foundation (ASME) and Made In Space Inc.  

For the first challenge, the students were asked to use their imagination to design and 3D model a tool that they think astronauts could use in space.  Of course, in addition to coming up with a concept and designing it, the students also had to consider its viability as a 3D printed object that can be created on-demand.  

“If an astronaut tool breaks, future space pioneers won’t be able to go to the local hardware store to purchase a replacement, but with 3D printing they will be able to create their own replacement or even create tools we’ve never seen before.” said Niki Werkheiser, NASA’s In-Space Manufacturing Project Manager.

For the younger set, Syndey Vernon of Bellevue, Washington took the first place price for her design of a space planter.

According to Sydney:

“The Space Planter would be used to grow plants on the ISS while being really water conservative. First, put the disc into the "mouth" of the creature. Tie a string to each of the ears and dangle them down through the hole in the disc into the lower part of the monster. Fill this lower part with water. Fill the top part with dirt and plant a seed. The plant will actually suck up any water it needs from the two strings dangling into the water, so it is very water-conservative. Also, it looks like a cute monster!”

As for the Teen Group, Robert Hillan of Enterprise, Alabama took the first prize with his Multi-Purpose Precision Maintenance Tool.

 

According to Robert:  

“The Multi-purpose Precision Maintenance Tool has a number of important tools which allow an astronaut to complete tasks with comfort and ease. The different sized drives at the top allows the user to attach sockets. In the center are wrenches of varying sizes, allowing fewer wrenches to be carried to the job site. On the left is a precision measuring tool along with wire gauges and a single edged wire stripper. In the center is an outline for Velcro to be applied allowing an easy storage around the station. A circular hole in the bottom center allows for a clip to be used as well. On the right, and ergonomic grip is built into the tool with ridges for better grasp, lastly a pry bar is built into the ergonomic grip for ease of access”.

While Sydney won a 3D printer for her school thanks to her winning entry, she was also able to meet two NASA astronauts.  “This has been awesome!” she said.    

As for his Multi-purpose Precision Maintenance Tool, Robert will get to watch from NASA’s Payload Operations Center with the mission control team while his winning design is 3D printed aboard the International Space Station in real-time.  In total, over 470 students entered the challenge with designs ranging from multi-tools to medical equipment.

 

“This was a real world challenge that allowed them to apply their creative skills in determining an innovative tool that would make life on the ISS easier or more fun.” said Jodi Schleter, Content Integration Coach, Coppell Independent School District.

The next Future Engineers 3D Printing in Space Challenge will be announced in April 2015.  You can sign up for announcements and updates at the Future Engineers Website.  


 

Posted in 3D Printing Applications

 

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