As part of my master's coursework at MIT, I had the pleasure of collaborating with SpaceX Engineers as a team of 5 to design and prototype a self-contained portable cooling system to enhance astronaut comfort before lift off.

Along the way, we learnt the importance of communicating and emphatizing with our customers to understand and solve their pain points.

• SpaceX astronauts put on their spacesuits at operations center several hours before launch

• A portable device is needed to maintain thermal comfort of suited astronauts before they reach the rocket

• Current device is outdated Apollo-era technology 

• Less than $25,000 per unit

• Non-toxic air output 

• Output air 12C, 75% RH

• Flow Rate 150-350 LPM

• Less than 13Kg

• 2hr operation time

• Working prototype in 8 weeks

• Main mode of heat transfer is convective cooling by air flow

• Lowering the air temperature is energy intensive and does not extract as much heat as convection

• Lowering humidity of air will significantly improve cooling

• Key takeaway: Focusing budget on high airflow speed and dessicants rather than lowering air temperature will improve overall cooling efficiency!

• Flared fittings bad

• Poor layout

• Leaks

• Charging process slow

• Compiled learnings from previous iterations 

• Purchased off the shelf AC unit, retrofitted external condenser for more heat extraction and extra fans for increased flow rate

• Attached battery unit for portability 

• Output air 12C, 75% RH (Yes!)

• Flow Rate 150-350 LPM

• Less than 13Kg

Cross section showing how the final version of the cooling unit would look like to SpaceX 

There is interest from SpaceX in continuing the project beyond this class

I would like to thank the team at SpaceX and our professors at MIT for guiding us each and every step of the way