Challenge

- During the spacewalks, astronauts don’t have access to food as the risk of crumbs can damage components in the suit.

Opportunity

- A hands-free dispenser is required for the helmet.

Summary

- We discovered that astronauts are in their spacesuits for 6-8 hours at a time during spacewalks during which their energy levels decline. With a newly developed spacesuit, astronauts will be able to have food bites in their suit. 

- However, they are not able to use their hands to eat so to resolve this problem our team designed a dispenser for food bites located in their helmet to hold and release food bites to the astronaut.

Research

We learned that from the past solutions, that the food produced crumbs or were not tasty.

We learned about eating in space and certain limitations in place. In learning this we have to adapt our ideas to fit those limitations and think of factors that vary based on being on earth versus the lunar surface. 

Prototypes

Design Specifications

Performance: The product must be able to store at least 8 food bite pellets and dispense them one at a time to the astronaut, has to be small enough for there to be two or three dispensers in the helmet.

Size and Weight: No specified weight constraint but as light as possible, has to hold 8 pellets and small enough for 2-3 different dispensers in the helmet at once; pellet size should be about  1” x .75” x .5”.

Global Environment: Product should not include any dangerous substances because it will be directly in contact with food that astronauts consume.

Safety and Legal Issues: If designed improperly food could be unintentionally released into the helmet and stands to damage other components of the suit or harm the astronaut.

Ergonomics: The position of the dispenser should adjust for each astronaut for increased ease of use, ergonomically fitted to provide increased comfort and ability to manipulate exclusively with head and mouth.

Operating Environment: The temperature within the space suit helmet remains relatively constant (a comfortable temperature for the astronaut). The product will not be experiencing any severe temperature fluctuations, corrosive materials, or dust; experiences the same conditions as the inside of a space suit.

Durability and Maintenance: Other than restocking the food bites the product should not require routine maintenance.

Service Life: Unknown, but as long as astronauts are on the moon with no resupply missions.

Product Life: Unknown, but as long as astronauts are on the moon with no resupply missions.
Aesthetics: Should have a "cool" factor.