Tech Briefs Magazine - November 2021 - 6

UP
FRONT
Impact the Future
with NASA
Being an astronaut isn't the only
cool thing about space. Interns use
their creativity and innovation to work
on projects impacting NASA missions
such as returning to the Moon. NASA
interns work with leading experts and
gain valuable experience in research
and mission projects.
NASA has begun accepting applications
for internships for the Spring of
2022. Internships are available from
high school to graduate level. Appli -
cants must be U.S. citizens.
Find out more and apply at
https://intern.nasa.gov
What's New on Techbriefs.com
Jonathan Blutinger
and his team at Co -
lumbia University can
make an impressive,
layered graham cracker
cake. While delicious,
according to Chef Blu -
tinger, the dessert is also noteworthy be -
cause of the tools used to make it: lasers
and a 3D printer. Go to techbriefs.com/
blog to see how close we really are to digitizing
the cooking process and bringing
lasers to the kitchen. Send your comments
and suggestions to me at billy.
hurley@saemediagroup.com.
Next Month in Tech Briefs
Next month, you can begin casting
your vote for the annual Tech Briefs
Readers' Choice Product of the Year. In
the December issue, find out more about
the 12 nominees for the 2021 awards and
how to submit your vote online.
Editorial Director
Linda Bell
Editorial Director
Durable Fabrics for the Moon
The surface of the Moon is a harsh environment
with no air, low gravity, dust, and
micrometeorites flying faster than 22,000
mph. These conditions can pose a hazard to
astronauts, their dwellings, and spacecraft.
Engineers at NASA Glenn Research Center's
Ballistic Impact Lab are working to help
select materials for future Artemis missions
and predict how they will perform while on
the lunar surface.
In the first series of tests, the team evaluated
materials NASA is considering for habiEngineers
pummeled potential spacesuit
materials with mock Moon rocks made of
basalt, like these, to see how the fabrics
would hold up on the lunar surface.
tats, which are designed to be relatively soft and flexible but very stiff if struck. To
assess the potential fabrics and gauge how many layers would be needed to stop
micrometeorite penetration, engineers used the facility's air gun to fire steel ball
bearings at various fabrics. A suite of sensors and high-speed cameras measured how
each material absorbed or deflected energy.
The composite materials were a combination of substances that include fibers for
strength and bonding resins to allow transfer of stress and energy. To evaluate these
potential materials, engineers used the lab's vertical-impact-drop tester to hurl mock
simulated Moon rocks made of basalt onto potential spacesuit materials.
Learn more about NASA's Artemis program in this issue's special section that
begins on page 16.
BIG Ideas for
Moon Rovers
Traditional wheeled rovers
cannot reach many of the
unexplored areas of the
Moon and Mars. The BIG
Idea Challenge competition
sponsored by NASA and
managed by the National
Institute of Aerospace (NIA),
invites university teams to
develop innovative and costeffective
robots that go beyond wheeled rovers capable of exploring other worlds.
The challenge is aligned with the Artemis program goals of exploring more of the
lunar surface than ever before.
Adaptive locomotive modality, or the ability to move in different ways, is integral to
extreme terrain exploration on the Moon and Mars. Lessons learned exploring more
of the Moon will lower the costs, improve safety, and increase the performance of
deep space exploration, enabling more robust Mars missions.
" To fully explore the Moon and Mars, NASA will need more than traditional
wheeled rovers, " said Niki Werkheiser, director of technology maturation within the
agency's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). " We're looking to university
students for cutting-edge alternative ideas that will enable us to explore extreme terrestrial
terrain on the Moon and later on Mars. "
Proposals and video submissions are due January 18, 2022.
For full competition details, visit: http://bigidea.nianet.org
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Tech Briefs, November 2021

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Tech Briefs Magazine - November 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Tech Briefs Magazine - November 2021