Design astro socks to protect astronauts’ feet in microgravity

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In space, astronauts’ feet are like hands. They use them to grip and grasp surfaces to stabilize themselves in microgravity. This often leads to discomfort on the tops of their feet. In this lesson, students study the tasks that astronauts perform while on the International Space Station. Students evaluate designs of performance footwear, gather user requirements and study foot anatomy. Then, they design and build a prototype to mitigate the pressure on their feet. By running trials using their sensorized sock, they test the effectiveness of their design in a simulated microgravity environment. Finally, they write and record an advertisement to explain their design.

Materials developed in partnership with the NASA STEM on Station team.

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Special thanks to our 2018 Hackathon participants

This lesson builds upon the work started by Isabelle Starr, a student from the Lake Washington School District, Jason Huff, an educator from Seattle Public Schools, and Brittany Strachota, an educator from the Pacific Science Center. During the 2018 Microsoft OneWeek Hackathon, they partnered with a team of Microsoft employees to develop a prototype of the sensor and the Excel workbook to measure foot pressure. Their work provided the foundation for the Astro Socks project, which the Hacking STEM and NASA Stem on Station teams further developed.

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