NASA Micro-g Next

NASA Micro-g NExT is a design program in which students are tasked with designing and building a device to complete a task. I entered this program as part of a team of five freshmen aerospace engineering students. Our given task was to build a device that could anchor into the regolith of a microgravity body such as an asteroid. 

Design

I led the team during the design phase of the project. Our design consisted of an aluminum rod with an auger fastened to one end and 3D printed tether loops fastened to the other. The main body of the device is a 3D printed conical skirt that prevents debris from flying up when the auger is being driven into the regolith. The design also features a handle which fits standard NASA dimensions as well as redundant safety measures to ensure an astronaut or diver's suit is not punctured by the device. 

The device is designed to be simple and lightweight. It does not exceed a 10" x 10" footprint or a height of 18" (the overall size requirement), and the device can be operated with a 7/16" socket wrench or drill. 

Testing

To test the pull out force required to remove our device from the regolith, both land and neutral bouyancy tests were conducted at the University of Maryland. In both cases, tests were set up such that the device anchored into wet sand inside a bucket. For each test, a force gauge was used to measure the pullout force. After the tests, design changes were made and a final prototype was constructed. 

Neutral Buoyancy laboratory

Our team's design was selected to move forward and we were invited to the NASA Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston, TX. There, our team presented a design review to NASA engineers. Later, divers tested the device in the neutral buoyancy tank according to procedures written by our team and on-sight verbal instructions. During this testing it was found that our device tripled the minimum required pullout force of 15 lbs.