Final Interior

2020, Jun 20    


The developments to my design were largely pragmatic but also allowed me to develop my visual language further. The fins at the base were added to allow the enclosure to stand freely, something I had not initially considered. But were also patterned to highlight the symmetry of my design. They also draw their form from the stereotypical rocket. More simplistically conveying my theme. The centre capsule was also added to provided a more definitive, hierarchical position for the contents and ensures the toxic contents does not escape. The palette paying homage to the American led mission.

Design Direction 2

2020, Jun 15    

Design 2 uses an Actuated mechanism to translate motion through the enclosure. Opening and closing the jaws. This simulates the original tool and motion that was used to collect moon samples but uses the interaction with the enclosure as the source of the motion. This direction is inspired by the engineering and ingenuity it took to get these precious samples back to earth. And for this reason the mechanism are visible from the exterior. Explaining to the user how the motion is created.

Design Direction 1

2020, Jun 01    

The first design direction I decided to pursue is inspired by the fairing separation of the Apollo 11 rocket. This direction came about after examining the Interior, Exterior relationship of the Apollo 11 rocket, and seeing if this relationship could be translated into an enclosure design.
Fairing Separation is the first stage in which the interior payload of the rocket is revealed, The Command and Landing module, The heart of the mission. The Fairings protect the Apollo 11 lander as does my enclosure protect the contents (moon dust)

Fairing Separation Test by NASA

Definition: “A payload fairing is a nose cone used to protect a spacecraft against the impact of dynamic pressure and aerodynamic heating during launch through an atmosphere.”
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payload_fairing

During Fairing separation in space the symmetrical components are ejected away from the body of the rocket and a left to freely float in space, disappearing behind the rocket. I wanted this to be reflected in this enclosure interior, The lid folds through 180 degrees so that when the enclosure if fully open the lid is not viable from the top. As if left behind in space.

Interior 1

This deign develops on one of my more abstract concepts from project 1. Which upon reflection aligned more with the visual language I was attempting to convey. The hinging mechanism allow for several distinct states and achieves my goal of emulating the fairings through the lid. The first phase of motion of the lid emulates the way the fairings fall away from the body of the space craft. The second phase emulate the fairings being left behind in space as they fold under the body, hiding them from the bird’s eye view. The double split allows the entire interior and mechanisms of the enclosure to be viewed. A president set by my theme.

Project Two Research

2020, May 15    

Research

Mechanisms from Apollo 11 are purely functional, as form follows function the aesthetic of these mechanisms is very minimal as weight is of great concern.

Possible Mechanisms

  • Hinge
  • Screw
  • Gear/ Gear Train
  • Pivot
  • Friction
  • Links and Joints
  • Woodworking joints, dovetail etc.
  • Locking mechanism
  • Pantograph Mechanism (Scissor lift)
    This mechanism is a system of linkages which reproduced the motion of one point of the linkage at a second point. Motion is often scaled.

Apollo 11 Mechanisms

  • Hatch
  • Lathes
  • Locking
  • Linkage

  • Actuator

    • Actuators are often used as landing mechanisms
  • Pivot
    • Pivoting mechanisms are common on the Apollo 11 Rocket, They allow the aspect of the rocket to pivot open and in some cases detach from the body of the rocket.

  • Thrust vectoring (gimbal)

    • “Thrust vectoring for many liquid rockets is achieved by gimbaling the whole engine. This involves moving the entire combustion chamber and outer engine bell as on the Titan II’s twin first-stage motors, or even the entire engine assembly including the related fuel and oxidizer pumps. The Saturn V and the Space Shuttle used gimbaled engines.”

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrust_vectoring#Thrust_vectoring_methods

  • Pneumatic docking system

    • The docking mechanism of the Apollo 11 mission was used to connect the landing module with the command module after its successful trip to the surface. Allowing the astronauts to transfer from the landing module to the command module and return home. This concepts could be used to bridge the interior and exterior of my enclosure, as the docking mechanism in its self is a sort of bridge.

Physical Aspects of object

A piece of moon dust from the Apollo 11 mission 1969

  • Lunar soil is very fine in its form, it consists of dust, broken rock and other materials present on the lunar surface.
  • Its fineness is due to the mechanical pulverization of basaltic and anorthositic rock. This is due to the continuous meteoric impacts and bombardment by solar and interstellar objects that impact the moons surface with significant velocity due to its “thinner” atmosphere.
  • The creation of lunar dust is described generally as mechanical weathering.
  • “Lunar soil typically refers to only the finer fraction of lunar regolith, which is composed of grains 1 cm in diameter or less, but is often used interchangeably.[1] Lunar dust generally connotes even finer materials than lunar soil.”
  • Lunar dust is electrostatically charged and will stick to anything it comes into contact with.
  • “The density of lunar regolith is about 1.5 g/cm3”
  • Due to the unique properties of lunar dust it proposes significant challenges to space exploration, some of these include:
    • Darkening of surfaces, leading to a considerable increase in radiative heat transfer;
    • Abrasive nature of the dust particles may rub and wear down surfaces through friction;
    • Negative effect on coatings used on gaskets to seal equipment from space, optical lenses, solar panels, and windows as well as wiring;
    • Possible damage to an astronaut’s lungs, nervous, and cardiovascular systems;
    • Possible increased risk of spacesuit arcing due to small dust grains’ exposure to the space environment.

Concept of Interest

Due to moon dusts electrostatic properties it can be levitated when a charge of significant energy encounters it. This is called Electrostatic levitation, and occurs naturally on the surface of the moon. “On the daylit side of the Moon, solar ultraviolet and X-ray radiation is energetic enough to knock electrons out of atoms and molecules in the lunar soil. Positive charges build up until the tiniest particles of lunar dust (measuring 1 micrometre and smaller) are repelled from the surface and lofted anywhere from meters to kilometers high, with the smallest particles reaching the highest altitudes. Eventually they fall back toward the surface where the process is repeated” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_soil


Example of moon dust levitation

Example of “moon storm”. Lunar dust atmosphere

Interior vs Exterior

  • This Relationship could be sympathetic or contrasting

Designs from Project 1 to Develop.

Refinement 1 Concept 4 Concept 3.

Types of movement & Spatial transformation

When designing the interior and Mechanisms of the container it is important to consider the form of the container when both open and closed. How the transformation of the container affects the visual language and themes of the design.

Project One Enclosure Renders

2020, May 09    

Concept 1 draws insperation in its form from command module of the saturn V Rocket. The shape of the window complements the form of the polished aluminum body, and allows the space dust to be observed. The brushed matte black aluminum base creates a grounded enclosure with the matte black drawing on the darkness of space. The textured matte red and blue cap piece allows for a tight seal with the body ensuring none of the hazdious space dust escapes.

Concept 2 draws from a sample collection tool used to gather the intial lunar samples. The mechanism of the geometric form have been stripped down to instill the essance of the tool, with only the sterile white jaws of the tool remaining. This feature draws on the the care and importance theses samples held as they were a very valuable resouce to the science community on earth, and provided great insights into many diffrent fields. The rough finish to the body of the enclosure represents the utality and necessary functionality of the enclosure.

Concept 3 is of a more abstrat form, the prisim finds its shape from the triangular docking port mouthed at the top of the Saturn V command module. The parallel cuts into the body draw their form from the iconic footprint of Neil Armstrong, the first man to step on the lunar surface. The more cream body contrats the more white cap piece (both are in brushed aluminum) and provides a subtle distiontion and purpose into the enclosure. The tinted blue glass accents (as insipred but the NASA design team accents) seal the enclosure and also provide a beauitful light tessellation onto the contents of the enclosure.

Concept 4 contrast the organic form of the iconic Neil Armstrong footprint against the geometric body, formed of a rough concrete material drawing from the lunar surface. The the blue footprint is accented by the red tred the extrudes through into the glass eliptical dome that contains the sample. If the dome is full of dust the base of the tread will appear as if actually on the moon.

Concept 5 is a triagular Geodesic, this was inspired by the geometric shapes used by NASA and the mathmatical nature of the form pays homage to the engineering behind the Apollo 11 mission.

Refinement 1
To develop concept 2 dowels where added to increase the practicality of the enclosure, some function elements where also added so that the jaws will contract when the body is placed on the base. A red ball was also added to help visulise the object better, when rendering.

Refinement 2 Geodesic

Final

Initial 2min Sketches

2020, Mar 14    

Inital sketches are rough and simplistic. More unique aspects and themes will need to be explored before more refined sketches can be created.

Research 2

2020, Mar 13    

Extravehicular activity (EVA) is the name for the moon walk.
“Surface of moon is very fine grain. Almost like a powder”

Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment
Measures the distance between the earth and the moon using laser ranging (time for laser to make return trip)
Retroreflectors can take light from a large range of incident angles and reflect the rays back in the same direction

Landing Module The landing module has a large range of interesting shapes and colours that can be explored

  • Geometric Tessellations
  • Colours: Gold, Silver, Grey, White Black
  • Gold foil thermal coating for the command. (Crumped foil texture)

Space Suit

  • Colour: White, Red and Blue accents
  • Insulated “

Visual Imagery 1.

2020, Mar 11    

As expected with the Apollo mission there is a lot of monotone colors.
Predominate other colors are Red and blue as Apollo 11 was an American mission. The tools used to collect the samples is of great interest, as there are a great source of insight into the type of design being practiced at NASA The texture of the moon rock is a great source of inspiration