College of Engineering

Tyler Keough

College of Engineering Mechanical Engineering

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ajmal Yousuff Mechanical Engineering & Mechanics

Noah Alessi Co-Mentor

Station Reparation Vehicular Unit

It is a concern among the space community that astronauts are spending a great number of resources on spacewalks to complete menial tasks such as fixing loosened screws and bolts on the outside of stations. The goal of this research was to create an autonomous device that repairs the exteriors of space stations and saves astronauts time and resources. An in depth look at just how essential repair tools are in space was done, and it was found that a device like this could help save millions of dollars a year on repairs and training for astronauts. In general, the results of this project won’t have much impact on life on Earth but would be a huge asset to NASA and other space programs. With a device to do some of the astronaut’s work, the time that spacewalks take could be cut down substantially from the current average of five to eight hours. Though this research acted more as a proof of concept, there are numerous applications for this device if research were to be continued. The final product of this research demonstrates a fairly simple system with electromagnets to hold the device on a surface, as well as a robotic arm to repair loose screws or bolts.