NASA engineers many things at enormous scales. To make big things happen you need big equipment. That includes robotics, and NASA recently received a massive industrial robot to aid in composite research.
NASA has produced some big composite structures already, but scaling up research is something they are equally interested in. According to a press release, “NASA's Langley Research Center is in the process of setting up this advanced composite research capability that engineers are calling ISAAC for Integrated Structural Assembly of Advanced Composites.” The multi-million dollar robot will enable
As with many new engineering endeavors, it took time and money. The idea was proposed six years ago and has been actively work on for the last two. The long road was partly caused by funding, or lack thereof. The project leaders had to raise cash for the project, and the funding comes courtesy of several sources.
NASA Langley pitched in about $1.4 million, the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate contributed another $1.1 million and the Space Technology Mission Directorate and NASA Langley's Space Technology and Exploration Directorate topped it off with combined $200,000 to pay for the multi-million dollar system. Not your average Kickstarter campaign.
This is partly due to the rarity of the robot and its duty. The system is one of only three globally. If you’re looking to pick one up as well (because who isn’t?), contact the manufacturer, Electroimpact,
Getting the robot in place was an undertaking in itself. Aside from the 2700 mile trip requiring two flatbeds, a rather massive crane was required to remove the robot from the trucks and then later on to install it on its track.
The goal of the acquisition is to serve multiple interests within the organization. Objectives include the general goal to, “…reduce the time for development, verification, and regulatory acceptance of new composite materials and design methods,” and for research in the Composites for Exploration Upper Stage (C-EUS) Project, which is a, “…3-year effort to design, build, test and address flight certification of a large composite shell suitable for the second stage of the Space Launch System.”
Despite the scale of their current undertakings, it appears big things are still come.
Photo source: NASA