Insects in Space Nanolabs

There are many reasons why we might want to send insects to the moon and beyond. However, first we must develop a small habitat that provides the insects with all they need to stay alive.

Introduction for Being an Engineer for the Insect Habitat Nanolab

• In this last Investigation Station, we are going to use the dimensions of a 1.5-unit Nanolab for our insect Nanolab.

In this Investigation Station we are going to use the dimensions of a 1.5 unit Nanolab as the size of our Insect Habitat Nanolab

• A Nanolab is a small rectangular prism of various sizes that when placed in an EXPRESS Rack on the International Space Station it can be hooked up to a USB port that not only can power an experiment inside the Nanolab, but also the USB port can transfer data to scientists on Earth.

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• For this last Insects in Space Investigation Station, teams are going to design and fabricate an insect habitat in an 1.5-unit Nanolab, which is 4 x 4 x 8 inches to successfully keep insects alive in this confined area for space.

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• Please keep an electronic or paper notebook on your observations as well as your procedures so that your insect habitat can be reproducible by others.

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• The following slide will provide ideas for a template for this notebook.

Procedure for Engineering Design of an Insect Habitat Nanolab

Students’ names - Teacher name - School Name and location – Start Date

This is a template that can be altered as needed by the teams.

• Define the Problem: What will it take to keep insects alive in Space? Why is this problem Important to NASA?
• Research sites that allow the team to learn more about what insects need to live on Earth and the Moon. Research should be started from day one and continue throughout the life of the project. The more you do research the more questions you will generate and the better your design will be.
• Make a list of the following requirements from what you think is the most important requirement to least important requirement for an insect habitat in in Nanolab (4 x 4 x 8-inch square prism). Water, temperature, Lights, Power, Camera, Weight, Size, Air circulation, cost, time schedule, food, housing, gravity etc.. This list is not in order! Please put it in the order of importance that your team decides.
• Record the generated ideas during brainstorming. This is an important aspect that teaches the the value of respecting each others' ideas! Best projects use a combination of ideas from the students.
• Identify the material that you will need and how you will obtain it. Links are important to include for material you purchase online since we want the insect habitat to be repeatable by others.
• Collaborate on a final design for inside the Nanolab. Present this design as a drawing or a scale model made out of any material that you have readily available.
• Test your design with insects in this small area. Have you run into unexpected problems?
• Decide on what needs to be redesigned and communicate your findings as an oral or written presentation.

The Engineering Design Process

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Image Credit: created by Amy Cowen for Science Buddies / Science Buddies

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/engineering-design-process/engineering-design-process-steps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuwGvZ-eOrc

The Engineering Design Process: An Eggstronaut Mission

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By Science Buddies

Making a drawing or Blueprint

Always include UNITS in your drawing

4 inches

8 inches

Electronics which include Arduino Board with cameraLights and sensors such as temperature and humidity

Please watch the video for Plant Growth Chamber in a Nanolab at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCNUqM6zlbU

To watch Flo talking about the Engineering Design Process and she shows Arduino Boards.