NASA’s Open Innovation Origami Challenge
In reaching for the stars NASA also reaches for the crowd.
At the moment, the space agency is seeking folding concepts for a radiation shield for a Mars transfer vehicle. It needs to be something that can easily be packed, because with regards to space travel mass means money. And bulky items take up room that could otherwise be occupied by instrumentation or people.
The idea is to have a shield that could expand when landing on a planet to provide maximum efficiency and protection from potentially cancer-causing radiation.
“The theory is that there will be a lot of people who have expertise in folding techniques or origami and [NASA] want to find a very efficient way to pack a radiation shield,” said Matt Barrie, founder and CEO of the website Freelancer, where the challenge is posted.
Open Innovation Benefits
NASA believes wholeheartedly in open innovation and that by tapping into the smarts of millions of people it might find unexpected solutions that internal experts couldn’t come up with. In fact it has launched two other challenges at the same time.
One is for a mission patch for the agency’s 3D printer-cum-recycling project, known as the In Space Manufacturing Refabricator. The other is for animation storyboards. These are to help NASA describe and explain its experimental system for keeping track of items in the International Space Station.
Participants have until July 26 to make their submissions to the radiation shield challenge, which they can do through the Freelancer website.
Reader Comments
This is fascinating. I actually heard a former NASA scientist who now is a professional Origami teacher, explaining how space missions have always placed huge importance on foldable tech - quite simply because it's so much easier to put into space.
When you think about it in that context it makes complete sense.
Posted by Henry Morgan on August 17, 2017
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