Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Robotics Club received a grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to design new technology that will support NASA’s Artemis Lunar Mission. Now, the club has clinched a first-place victory in the prestigious NASA MINDS competition for the 2023-24 Artemis Mission in the Systems Engineering Paper (Senior Teams) category.
Students deliver innovative design on a tight budget
The NASA MINDS competition challenges students to address potential shortcomings in technology related to the upcoming Artemis Lunar Mission, which aims to return humans to the moon. MSU Denver’s robotics team tackled the issues of safely transferring cryogenic fluids used as coolant and hydraulic fluids for mechanical actuations by developing piping and utilities connections for structures or vehicles stationed on the lunar surface.
MSU Denver’s prototype for the Quick-Dry-Disconnect Cryogenic Fluid Connector was designed to limit the loss of cryogenic fluid when the piping is disconnected as well as for ease of use by lunar astronauts. It was devised for the incorporation of embedded sensors to monitor the status of the cryogenic fluid as it flows through the piping, said Parker Sorley, Robotics Club communications officer.
“It’s crazy to think about how an idea that was brainstormed by a handful of students became a physical, testable product within a year’s time,” Sorley said. “I have no doubt in my mind that this competition provided an incredibly useful experience for all the students involved that they will take with them and recall on, as they begin working in the industry.”
“This win not only highlights the team’s exceptional skills but also enhances MSU Denver’s reputation in the field of engineering and robotics,” said Yishi Lee, Ph.D., Robotics Club advisor. “Along those lines, this success marks the importance of student engagement and active participation in student life during (students’) undergraduate experience.”
Learn more about the award-winning project in RED.
The team’s project, which was kept under a budget of $1,500, impressed the judges with its depth, creativity and technical precision.
