After three months of designing and modeling, a panel of judges from NASA, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Foundation (ASME) and Made In Space Inc. in California, have selected the winners of the Future Engineers 3-D Printing in Space Tool Challenge.
The winner from the Teen Group (ages 13-19) is a Multipurpose Precision Maintenance Tool that Robert Hillan of Enterprise, Alabama, designed. The winner of the Junior Group (ages 5-12) is a Space Planter that Sydney Vernon from Bellevue, Washington, designed.
“This challenge has been an amazing experience which taught me many educational skills that will greatly benefit me in the future,” said Hillan. “It has given me an opportunity to put something on the space station, something I’ve always wanted to do and I’m so grateful I was able to participate.”
The challenge asked students in grades K-12 to use their imagination to create and submit a digital 3-D model of a tool they think astronauts could use in space.
“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 3-D 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 at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
This challenge tapped into the creativity and ingenuity of our nation’s future engineers to imagine interesting solutions to potential mission related problems. Models were received from 470 students across the United States.
The winning student in the teen category will watch from NASA’s Payload Operations Integration Center at the Marshall Center with the mission control team as their design is printed aboard the International Space Station. The winning student in the junior category will receive a 3-D printer for their school. Winners were selected after a panel of expert judges interviewed the four highest rated winners from each age group. The panel members were Werkheiser, Mike Snyder, head of research and development, Made In Space Inc.; and NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and Yvonne Cagle.
The top 10 entries from each age group are:
Teen Group
- Robert Hillan, Enterprise, Alabama – Multipurpose Precision Maintenance Tool (winner)
- Erik Carstens, Green Bay, Wisconsin – Multi Hex Key Tool (finalist)
- Ethan Cranston, Golden, Colorado – H20 Comb (finalist)
- Nate Giese, Green Bay, Wisconsin – Finger Splint (finalist)
- Quincy Edwards, New York – Variable Wrench Set (semifinalist)
- Patrick Gross, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina – Life Infusion (semifinalist)
- Eric Jing, Pennington, New Jersey – One-handed Container (semifinalist)
- Aaron Kruzel, Brighton, Michigan – Utility Armband (semifinalist)
- Christian Rispoli, Spring Lake, New Jersey – Pocket Utility Tool (semifinalist)
- Eliot Winchell, Corte Mader, California – Micro-Clean (semifinalist)
Junior Group
- Sydney Vernon, Bellevue, Washington – Space Planter (winner)
- Alex Jang, Irving, Texas – Hand Trash Smasher (finalist)
- William Johnson, Littleton, Colorado – Plastic Replaceable Astronomical Screwdriver (finalist)
- Nate Shue, Fairfax, Virginia – Water Catcher (finalist)
- Logan Castaldo, East Greenwich, Rhode Island – Rope of Usefulness (semifinalist)
- Aditya Hegde, San Diego, California – Sticky Grippers (semifinalist)
- John Humpherys, Treasure Island, Florida – Handy Helper (semifinalist)
- Maria Quinn, Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin – Cup Clamp (semifinalist)
- Trisha Sathish, Cupertino, California – Container O Storage (semifinalist)
- Nagasai Sreyash Sola, Ashburn, Virginia – Astro Multi-Tool (semifinalist)
The Space Tool Challenge is the first in a series of Future Engineers 3-D Printing challenges for students focused on designing solutions to real-world space exploration problems. They are conducted by the ASME Foundation in collaboration with NASA and were announced in June as part of the White House Maker Faire to empower America’s students to invent the future by bringing their ideas to life. The next challenge will be announced in April 2015.
The challenge supports NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate’s 3-D Printing in Zero-G International Space Station Technology Demonstration whose goal is to demonstrate the capability of utilizing a 3-D printer for in-space additive manufacturing technology. This is the first step toward realizing an additive manufacturing, print-on-demand “machine shop” for long-duration missions and sustaining human exploration of other planets, where there is extremely limited ability and availability of Earth-based logistics support.
For additional information about the winners, visit:
To see all the winning designs and for additional information about the Future Engineers 3-D Printing in Space Challenges, visit:
http://www.futureengineers.org
For additional information on the 3-D Printing in Zero-G Technology Demonstration, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/3Dprinting/
Stephanie Schierholz
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
stephanie.schierholz@nasa.gov
Tracy McMahan
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034
Tracy.Mcmahan@nasa.gov