How a student's 3D design became a tool in orbit
In short: Watch as NASA astronauts on the International Space Station discuss a custom-designed maintenance tool with its teenage creator. This session explores how additive manufacturing allows students to send practical solutions directly into space.
During a session on June 15, Expedition 47 crew members Tim Kopra and Jeff Williams met with Robert Hillan to discuss his contribution to the Space Tool Challenge for the Teen Group. Hillan, an aerospace and mechanical engineering student at the University of Alabama, designed a Multipurpose Precision Maintenance Tool intended for use aboard the orbital laboratory.
Functioning much like a Swiss Army knife, the tool features various components designed to help astronauts perform tasks with greater ease and comfort. The design was sent from the Marshall Space Flight Center’s integration hub in Alabama to the station's Additive Manufacturing Facility, where Hillan observed the printing process in real time.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Space Station Crew Talks to Student Designer of 3-D Tool
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