SPACE-AGE INNOVATION
Oak Ridge High School students design cargo bags, recipes to ship to NASA astronauts
Astronauts have a reputation for being at the cutting edge of human intelligence and pushing physical limitations. In space, all equipment has to be made according to the most rigorous standards to withstand extreme temperatures, microgravity and radiation.
To further push the envelope of innovation, NASA has teamed up with Oak Ridge High School to create everyday products for astronauts.
The partnership is through the HUNCH — High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware — program.
At Oak Ridge High School, students in Darlene Parson’s fashion design classes have sewn more than 100 cargo transfer bags for astronauts to carry essential personal items, pantries, cases for ammonia filter cartridges and even sleeping bags.
“I think I had on my website at one time, ‘What happens to your work after your teacher grades it?’ In fashion design, we ship it to the International Space Station,” Parsons said. “It’s ownership.”
Because of the extreme environment of space, only specialized fabrics make the cut. Students piece together and stitch Gore-Tex and Nomex fabrics, which can cost upward of $10,000 a roll. The adhesive of choice in all of this — Velcro.
“There is Velcro everywhere,” Parsons said. “Things would float away, so there’s lots of Velcro.”
Oak Ridge High School has been involved in the NASA program since Parsons initiated the collaboration six years ago. During that time, students have seen several of their creations make it to the International Space Station. This year, a sewn pantry and a CQ organizer, which looks like a bag that opens up with several pockets and compartments, is expected to catch a flight to the International Space Station on Space X Flight 10, a NASA resupply mission launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Although Parsons’ fashion design classes have had the longest running partnership with NASA at Oak Ridge High, other continuing and technical education teachers at the campus have come on board in recent years.
Lilia Pellicano, a family and consumer science teacher at Oak Ridge High, teaches culinary arts and restaurant management to teens looking for a career path into hospitality. The link between culinary arts and aeronautics might not be immediately apparent. They need to eat, too.
But food in space — where fresh vegetables and fruits aren’t readily available — often takes the form of freeze-dried, dehydrated, powdered or semi-liquid substances packaged in aluminum tubes. Eating in microgravity also means passing on the bread — except for tortillas — to avoid crumbs from floating into equipment and fouling machinery. Crystallized salt isn’t allowed either.
“It’s one of those daily life things that people do not think about until they have to. They can’t roll down the window and go to McDonald’s. They can’t get Domino’s to deliver. They have to take all their food with them,” Pellicano said. “They (the students) have to do the science.”
Pellicano worked with her culinary arts students to develop one vegetarian dish that met NASA’s dietary restrictions of 300 to 500 calories, of which no more than 30 percent can come from fat. No more than 300 milligrams of sodium. No more than eight grams of sugar. At least three grams of fiber, and, don’t forget, the food must process well for use in microgravity. That mean it has to be able to de- and rehydrate or be freeze-dried for space flight.
“That’s the cool thing about NASA and this program. It’s giving our students the opportunity to realize, to look and see that science is real life. Science is daily life. I usually tell my kids that nutritional wellness or culinary arts may not be rocket science, but it makes a rocket scientist’s life easier if you’re well-nourished,” Pellicano said.
The culinary students went with falafels. After putting together a paper on the science of their dish, creating a video and serving the falafels, no bread included, to NASA astronauts in February, the Oak Ridge High students were selected for the final phase in the annual Johnson Space Center Food Culinary Challenge on April 21.
Lastly, Jeff Marcinkowski leads his animation students to create threedimensional computer renderings of hardware, like door handles, molds for bits and parts, and hinges to be re-created on a 3-D printer. The prototypes are then submitted to NASA engineers for feedback. “It’s authentic learning. They get to quantify what they do in math class, what they do in science and physics, and see in real life how it applies,” Marcinkowski said. “The kids get to pick the projects that they want. There isn’t a step-by-step process. ... It’s divergent thinking, open-ended. There aren’t answers in the back of the book.”
Creating recipes, tools and storage for astronauts is more than just a way to show off to friends and family, although that’s a part of it too. Participating in the program is a huge résumé booster for students and also a way to develop real-world skills through technical education.
“People have an antiquated view of (career and technical education). That image still exists and it’s unfortunate. We’re trying to demystify that old image of vocational education and help parents and students understand we’re going to give them a rigorous education,” said Gregory Shipp, the CTE coordinator for CISD.
The program is also a great recruitment tool for teachers and administrators looking to bolster Oak Ridge High’s reputation.
“It’s a way to identify and recruit students they want to bring on board as an engineer or product developer,” Shipp said.
Conroe High School also participates in the program. The Woodlands, College Park and Caney Creek High Schools are currently not involved in the program, which is active in 25 states and Canada.