Micro-g’s mission is to develop tools for NASA that would be useful in advancing space exploration and can function in microgravity environments. These tools are intended for various applicable space exploration uses, most notably lunar expeditions by astronauts in the upcoming Artemis missions. The ultimate goal is to generate new technology and ideas that could be used to better fulfill NASA’s space research and exploration goals.

People (Left to Right) Aaron Simpson, Sam Haley, Andrew Krall, Hunter Underwood, Yahriel Salinas-Reyes, Jack Mendoza, Rodrigo Romero, Jacob Thompson, Sarah Stewart, Emilee Evans, Sam Whitlock

Team Organization

Micro-g is split into two distinct teams: Design and Operations. Design Team tasks focus on developing a detailed design based upon initial ideation and brainstorming, creating a computer model of the design, and planning the manufacturing methods for the design. The Operations Team is responsible for documentation, planning and organizing outreach opportunities, managing the team’s online and public presence, securing funding, and the most important task of all: the project proposal sent to NASA with the accompanying one-minute concept pitch video.

Faculty Advisor: Tomas Gonzalez-Torres

Technical Advisors: Luke Gordon & Tomas Gonzalez-Torres

NASA Mentor: TBD

Objectives

The objective of Micro-g is to brainstorm, design, build, and test microgravity tools for future use by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). To do this, the team participates in the NASA Microgravity Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Teams (Micro-g NExT) Artemis Student Challenge. For the 2021-22 challenge, the team is developing a reusable multi-surface anchoring mechanism to be used by future astronauts on the Moon and in other areas of space exploration to help NASA conduct research. The device must meet given challenge constraints, and the team will submit a design proposal document to NASA in October 2021 for further selection consideration. Should the team’s proposed design be selected by NASA to continue in the challenge, the team will manufacture a prototype in Spring 2022 to be tested by professional divers at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) at the Johnson Space Center in Houston to prove the tool can function in a microgravity environment similar to the Moon. A secondary objective of Micro-g is to conduct STEM outreach as a portion of the competition.

Goals

– Design Team –

• Develop a detailed design that meets challenge size, weight, material, mechanical, and handling constraints specified by NASA that can function in microgravity in a dusty lunar environment as well as underwater in a pool setting (NBL).  The anchoring device must be able to provide ten pounds of holding strength on varying rock surfaces and be safe and efficient for astronauts to use.
• Create a computer model of the design using SolidWorks with correct materials and dimensions. It must be detailed enough for viewers to understand how the design operates.
• Build an initial rudimentary prototype that displays at least one important facet of the design and illustrates how it works. This could be used for the proposal and showcased at in-person events.
• Develop a manufacturing/test plan for the prototype and create a bill of materials.
• Conduct a computer/mathematical analysis of the design to determine the stresses it will experience and where design failure could occur. 

– Operations Team –

• Write the  NASA proposal document that will get the team selected to move on in the competition. The proposal describes the design, explains how it meets challenge requirements, discusses the test plan, and details safety considerations and outreach plans. The proposal must explain the design feasibility well enough to be accepted by NASA engineers.
• Create the one-minute concept pitch video to accompany the proposal and provide a visual reference for design operation.
• Organize and plan STEM outreach activities with local schools or Iowa State organizations where the team can talk about the project, NASA, and Micro-g NExT while getting students interested in NASA and STEM.
• Write grant requests to obtain team funds.
• Manage and create content for the team’s social media accounts and website that will increase the team’s online following and reach.
• Draft the design poster and midterm and final presentations to showcase team progress.

Deliverables

– Design Team – 

Finalized design

CAD (Computer-Aided Design) model of design

Manufacturing plan

BoM (Bill of Materials)

Completed design safety and failure analysis

Simple prototype to demonstrate design concept

– Operations Team –

NASA proposal document

Concept pitch video

Iowa Space Grant Consortium funding request form

Finalized outreach plan

Make to Innovate presentations and posters

Updated website and social media

Timeline