To replace resources that would otherwise be brought from Earth, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) is the practice of collecting, processing, and storing resources found or manufactured on astronomical objects such as Mars. The purpose of our experiement is to investigate the efforts of microgravity on the biopolymer-bound soil composites made of Martian regolith simulant, a protein matrix formed by bovine serum albumin (BSA), and water.

Our payload consists of 3 modules stacked on top of each other, each holding 2 bricks to produce a total of 6 bricks. Each brick mold contained pre-mixed regolith and protein with a cam follower pinching a water-filled tube shut to prevent the bricks from forming before being introduced in the microgravity environment. While the experiment was activated in space, the Raspberry Pi Zero would actuate one module every 5 days by unpinching the tubes and using a servo to push a syringe plunger that would introduce the water into the brick mixture. The water then passively evaporates from the bricks and is absorbed by the desiccants. The humidity, temperature, and pressure data is recorded throughout the entire experiment.

My role on the team was to update CAD designs, complete 3D printing, and integrate critical electrical and mechanical components into the payload. My primary focus was on manufacturing multiple payloads for both the ISS experiment and our control and citizen science outreach experiments. We were also able to perform shock and vibration testing to verify our payload’s ability to resist dynamic loads without losing critical functional or structural integrity under given launch conditions.