Two teams of University of Wyoming students have been selected to advance to Phase 2 in NASA’s 2024 Micro-g Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Teams (NExT) engineering design challenge.

Seven undergraduate students in the UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, dubbed the UW Crater Cowboys, designed and built the Little Lunar Saddlebag, a hand carrier device that can be used to store and move tools during lunar extravehicular activity in microgravity. Team members include Maria Allen, of Parker, Colo.; Hanna Detmer, of Sheridan; Autumn Highland, of Cheyenne; Hunter Kindt, of Cody; Ivan Leon and Michael Richardson, of Green River; and Erin Poyer, of Rock Springs.

Additionally, eight undergraduate students in the UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, dubbed the UW Space Cowboys, designed and built the Flag Assembly with Shark-Stake and Tether, a lunar flag, flagpole and anchoring system that can be deployed on the lunar surface. Team members include Brian Baker and Jake Kravetsky, both of Jackson; Jakob Borrman, of Loveland, Colo.; Daemon Carroll, of Smithfield, Va.; Joshua Gardner, of Pensacola, Fla.; Eduardo Mendoza, of Powell; JW Mills, of Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Jacob Wells, of Cheyenne.

“I am so pleased with the efforts that I’ve seen these teams put forth and am proud that students from the mechanical engineering department will again be able to represent UW in the Micro-G NExT challenges,” says Kari Strube, an assistant lecturer of mechanical engineering and team adviser. “Last year, I was impressed with the dedication shown by our students, who had a successful test of their zip-tie installer, and I expect that this year’s groups will perform equally well in their challenges. They both have been working hard to continue to refine their designs, and I look forward to seeing them test their finished products in NASA’s facilities.”

Micro-g NExT encourages undergraduate students to design, build and test a tool or device that addresses an authentic, current space exploration challenge. The experience includes hands-on engineering design, test operations and public outreach. Micro-g NExT provides a unique opportunity for students to contribute to NASA’s missions, as the design challenges are identified by NASA engineers as necessary in space exploration missions.

“This experience has been eye-opening, because it feels more like a real work environment rather than just a project for class,” Kindt says.

Each year, a new list of challenges aligned to future space exploration missions is identified. These challenge descriptions are NASA-unique opportunities to support future deep space exploration and Artemis missions. Teams are encouraged to participate in Micro-g NExT and contribute to the history of Artemis efforts to return to the moon and in preparation for human exploration to Mars and beyond.

The UW Crater Cowboys are participating in the first challenge. The objective is to design a hand carrier for lunar extravehicular activity tools that can be adjusted to at least two different heights -- short for transport and tall for working at the sampling site. The team took inspiration from familiar everyday items, modifying them to solve a new problem.

“The Little Lunar Saddlebag resembles a music stand, with the height change mechanism inspired by weight-lifting equipment,” Allen says.

The importance of a hand carrier for lunar extravehicular activity tools in space is mission critical.

“The Little Lunar Saddlebag plays a vital role in the collection of geological lunar samples by providing astronauts with means of transporting and accessing tools during extravehicular activities,” Poyer says.

The UW Space Cowboys are participating in the second challenge. The objective is to design a lunar flagpole and anchoring system that can be deployed on the lunar surface. While traditionally the flag has been anchored using something like a garden stake, the goal of this challenge is to improve upon that method by increasing the flag height, improving stability and making it easier for the astronaut to install.

“The inspiration for the design of the flag is varied -- taking from numerous ideas proposed by individual members -- but, if we had to choose one feature that we feel is the most unique to the design, it would be the fins used to anchor the design, which pull inspiration from arrowheads, camping stakes and, of all things, shark fins,” Carroll says.

As NASA is challenged to go forward to the moon during the Artemis missions, an important and symbolic task during extravehicular activities will be to deploy a flag on the lunar surface.

“The return to the moon is an important moment for all Americans. The flagpole design helps to enable a sense of pride and unity in the general public,” Baker says.

Both devices, the Little Lunar Saddlebag and the Flag Assembly with Shark-Stake and Tether, will be delivered to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston at the end of April, and the UW teams will participate in a test readiness review. Micro-g NExT coordinators and NASA personnel will examine each of the UW teams’ devices, along with those of other selected teams, to ensure their operation procedure is clear and safe for the astronauts.

Teams will travel to Houston in June to have their projects tested by professional divers in the NASA Johnson Space Center Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, a simulated microgravity environment.

“I believe I can speak on behalf of the team when I say this experience has been amazing, and we are so excited to have made it to Phase 2 and have the opportunity to test the Little Lunar Saddlebag in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab at the Johnson Space Center,” Highland says. “This team is composed of some amazing individuals whose hard work and collaboration cannot go unrecognized.”

“As a team, we are excited to move into Phase 2 of the challenge,” Kravetsky says. “We liked designing and iterating on our flagpole, but being able to build and test it is going to be a great experience.”

To learn more about the NASA Micro-g NExT challenges, visit https://microgravityuniversity.jsc.nasa.gov/about-micro-g-next.