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"Shoot for the moon; you might get there."
— Buzz Aldrin
As NASA shoots for the moon with their Artemis program, they continue to keep their feet on Earth by enlisting the help of university students around the nation to develop tools to help the astronauts on their missions.
The MEC Team at Berkeley accepted the challenge and was tasked with developing a space suit attachment quick release system that will allow future astronauts exploring the moon to quickly and easily access tools that they will carry on their xEMU space suits.
The MEC Team was selected from more than 30 entries to take their prototype to the Neutral Buoyancy Lab at Johnson Space Center to test in a simulated microgravity environment similar to that on the moon.
The MEC Team at Berkeley needs your help to bring their design to NASA.
NASA’s Micro-G Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Team (Micro-g NExT) competition challenged the MEC Team at Berkeley to design, test, and propose solutions to the challenge of developing a space suit attachment quick release system.
When approaching the challenge, the MEC Team looked towards common objects such as a bicycle helmet clasp for inspiration. Once they had a multitude of possible solutions to the problem, they explored each option further, comparing the pros and cons of each. Then, they consolidated their multiple solutions into their final design, the Rapid Attachment Belt-Tool (RABeT) System. They refined this singular design further, subjecting their model to stress testing to simulate the challenges it will face on the surface of the moon such as continuing to function even in the presence of lunar regolith.
Render of RABeT SystemThe bulk of the design work is done, but the team still has to physically manufacture the system to be taken to Houston.
The MEC Team needs your help to manufacture the system at a machine shop and send it to the Neutral Buoyancy Lab to be tested.
With your generosity, we can shoot for the moon!
Thank you for your support!
"The Moon is the first milestone on the road to the stars."
— Arthur C. Clark
Facebook: MEC Team at Berkeley
We will send you a thank-you video from all the members of the MEC Team
Receive a personalized thank you note from the MEC Team
Join the team as we discuss our design and brainstorm improvements and testing
Meet personally with the MEC Team to hear about the RABeT System design and learn more about the NASA Challenge process
