Micro-g NExT Teams Test Prototypes at Neutral Buoyancy Lab

Seventeen teams of undergraduate students traveled to NASA’s NBL (Neutral Buoyancy Lab) in Houston, June 5-7, to test their prototypes for NASA’s Micro-g NExT (Microgravity Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Teams) challenge. Comprised of 110 students from 14 different institutions of higher learning across the United States, the teams were onsite to direct NBL divers to test prototype tools they designed in response to one of the four 2023 Micro-g NExT Challenges. Those challenges focused on astronaut training, Orion crew safety, EVA (extravehicular) operations for missions to the International Space Station, and lunar EVA operations during the Artemis missions.

Upon arriving at the NBL on June 5, students were welcomed by NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement and NBL staff. Students made final alterations to their tools based on the feedback and action items received during their virtual safety reviews, practiced their testing operations plan, and took group and team photos on the pool deck. Retired NASA astronaut and current Boise State University faculty advisor Steven Swanson briefed the students on the importance of communication in preparation for the following day’s testing events. After lunch, five Micro-g NExT alumni participated in a panel-style presentation, offering invaluable insight and advice to the 2023 cohort. The students ended the day by touring the NBL pool deck, control room, machine shop, and suit lab with members of the NBL dive staff.

Testing for two challenges – the EVA Zip Tie Installer and EVA Dust-Tolerant Extension Handle Mechanism – occurred on June 6. These challenges called for students to design a device that could install a zip tie during a spacewalk and a tool attachment for an extendable handle that could be used during lunar sampling missions, respectively. In the morning, seven teams tested their zip tie installer prototypes. During each 10-minute test session, the student team instructed a hard hat diver on the use of their tool from the NBL’s test conductor room. Team members practiced clear communication and direction-giving skills, walking the diver through the testing process while observing the diver and testing environment on multiple screens. The testing objectives included installing a zip tie around a variety of objects, such as a bundle of cables and a handrail that were attached to a task board. In the afternoon, five teams completed the same process for the EVA Dust-Tolerant Extension Handle Mechanism, with a different hard hat diver. The testing objectives for this challenge included attaching a scoop tool mechanism to the extension handle and scooping various materials from a simulated lunar environment staged on the NBL pool floor. After all teams had completed the testing for their challenge, the divers provided feedback on the useability and success or failure of their device.

The lunar EVA tools were tested by two employees of NASA’s Johnson Space Center – Trevor Graff, Jacobs Technology chief scientist in the Astromaterials, Research, and Exploration Science Division, and Dave Coan, an engineer in the EVA Management Office. Also from Johnson, Kelly DeRees, a Micro-g NExT alumnus and a hardware development engineer in the Tools, Equipment, and Habitability Systems Branch, developed the EVA tool challenges and descriptions and acted as the subject matter expert for participants.

Finishing out the prototype test week, on June 7, the remaining five teams completed testing of their device prototypes. For these tests, teams gave surface divers instructions, operated their device, or collected data from the pool deck. Two teams tested their Space Suit Cooling System prototypes, while three teams tested their SAVER (Surface Autonomous Vehicle for Emergency Response) prototypes. For the Space Suit Cooling System, the objective was to construct and demonstrate a stand-alone water chilling system to remove heat load. The devices were placed on a donning stand and lowered into the pool in five-foot increments so that the student teams could monitor the effects of the water pressure at each depth. For the SAVER challenge, students manufactured a vehicle that utilized radio frequency finding capabilities to autonomously navigate to an ANGEL (Advanced Next-Generation Emergency Locator) beacon attached to a Zodiak boat on the opposite side of the pool. Team PYXIS from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, was able to observe their SAVER vehicle successfully navigate to the ANGEL beacon.

Johnson team members also supported these challenges. The Space Suit Cooling System challenge and description was developed and supported by John Haas, NBL chief, and James Shaw, aerospace technologist, engineer, and project manager. Shaw also supported the testing environment at the NBL, along with Chad Reynolds, senior mechanical engineer and systems project engineering lead. The SAVER challenge and description was developed by Cody Kelly, national affairs manager for the SAR (Search and Rescue) Office at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The testing environment for the SAVER challenge was supported by Lisa Mazzuca, SAR chief, and Thomas Montano, search and rescue radio frequency engineer.

Throughout the test week, several of the teams’ NASA mentors attended the testing sessions and interacted with the students. If mentors were unable to attend in person, they participated virtually by watching the testing sessions through the live stream.

Once prototype testing had concluded, all participants discussed their tools and overall projects in an open house poster session at Johnson. Employees from a variety of organizations, Micro-g NExT alumni, and team mentors interacted with students during this event. This year’s poster session was a unique experience in that it was also Bring Youth to Work Day at Johnson, and many youths were able to participate in the poster session with their guardian. 

Two students from this year’s cohort immediately transitioned into an internship or a full-time position at Johnson after completing the Micro-g NEXT test week. Representing Iowa State University, Hunter Underwood served as the project manager for team ZipCy. Underwood has participated in Micro-g NExT for the last two cycles. He also participated in the NASA Proposal Writing and Evaluation Experience program in 2022. After graduating with his bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, he is now completing an internship supporting the xPLSS (Exploration Portable Life Support Systems) team where he will primarily be constructing and testing equipment for the Exploration Extra-Vehicular Mobility Unit as well as analyzing suit test data. When asked about the impact of Micro-g NExT, Underwood stated, “It's a great way to gain hands-on experience and understanding of a full-scale new development project. It's the closest experience I've had to a traditional engineering work experience.”

Jack Chojnacki served as team ZipCy’s hardware lead. Chojnacki previously participated in Micro-g NExT in 2021 with the Lunar Sample Bag Dispenser challenge. He is now training to be a flight controller with the Visiting Vehicle Operations Branch. In this role, he will be supporting multiple cargo and crew vehicles to the International Space Station as well as the Artemis missions by planning trajectories, writing safety operations, and developing flight interfaces.

Micro-g NExT, one of NASA’s Artemis student challenges, began in 2015 and offers undergraduate students the opportunity to design and create mission-ready hardware. Learn more about Micro-g NExT and other Artemis student challenges at https://stem.nasa.gov/artemis/.