Our senior project team competed in a student design competition to design a lunar sample bag dispenser which could be worn by NASA astronauts in the Artemis program. The design incorporates flight-like materials and meets strict design requirements provided by NASA. A prototype was manufactured from carbon fiber with wet layup techniques.

Goals

• Design a lunar sample bag dispenser that weighs less than 3 lbs and can be operated by an astronaut with one hand
• Document the engineering design, manunfacturing, and testing processes
• Address the requirements of the Cal Poly ME senior project

Methods

• Collaboratively designed a dispenser that uses a folding arm to save space
• Designed parts and moving assembly in Fusion 360
• Carbon fiber layup on heated vacuum table in the Cal Poly composites lab
• Waterjet aluminum parts
• 3D printed plastic parts

Results

• Dispenser met all requirements of NASA design challenge
• Test procedures validated the usability and durability of the prototype

Annotated diagram of the proposed design

Structural prototype, including some flight-like materials and manufacturing methods