By Mais Al-Shaobaki and Laith Abu-Taleb

It’s a highly expressive art form, but placing things in the space can be quite challenging. Using origami -the art of folding flat sheets of paper- makes it much easier. ✋

Figure 1: A computer-generated model of the solar array as it might work on a spacecraft. The solar array is compact for launch, then deploys when in space. (Credit: Journal of Mechanical Design)

Origami is not only a fine art passed down through generations, but it also offers numerous benefits that extend to science. These advantages have been leveraged by leading scientists at NASA in the design of new space equipment and are also applied in teaching mathematics and 3D design at universities worldwide. For instance, researchers from MIT, the University of Sheffield, and the Tokyo Institute of Technology collaborated to make breakthroughs in healthcare robotics, including the launch of the first ingestible origami robot.

Origami in NASA 🚀

Origami is more than an art! It’s a tool that also helps scientists.

Figure 2: Picture for the starshade that NASA built to work as a giant star blocker, in hopes of imaging distant worlds.

“Starshade” is one of NASA’s projects inspired by Origami. Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory had a very challenging issue which was the packaging of a telescope bearing space vehicle into the tightest possible so they can put it in a shuttle, the biggest issue was if the nearby stars’ light faced the telescope it would not work.

NASA's team figured out the solution to this challenge, which is perversion design to shade the telescope from the stars’ light, the packing of the telescope will be tightly by using IRIS origami folds and after that perversion when in space and eventually covering a diameter of 85 feet. NASA's scientists conducted a study about the use of Origami in space superstructure, they used algorithms to reduce the storage size of large equipment and make it fit in tighter spaces for transport, because the rocket's storage space is not that big, the equipment needed to take as little space as possible before being launched into space.

The same team conducted another study called ‘Transformers for Extreme Environments.’ The study focused on the scientific use of Origami as its inspiration, the idea is to make the solar panels that are designed to catches the sun rays fold to hold as little space as possible during the launch phase. This achievement was possible using Origami concepts.

The new design will pack powerful reflective mirrors that will unfurl while in space and the mirrors will be used to generate solar energy for a myriad of uses.

Video 1: By: http://www.seeker.com/ from YouTube, description (NASA is using origami to build a giant star blocker, in hopes of imaging distant worlds).

NASA scientists were not the only ones to see the possible implications for Origami in space technology, the Japanese scientist Koryo Miura, from the University of Tokyo, introduced a unique folding method based on Origami which came to be known as the Miura folding method. This method quickly became famous all over the world. The importance of Miura folding was realized after thinking about how this sequence of actions could be achieved not only by humans but by robots.

Figure 3: Picture for the Miura folding method by Koryo Miura.

Figure 4: The Flasher fold configuration. (a) Flasher pattern with m = 6 in stowed configuration. (b) Left to Right: deployment of the Flasher membrane. Notice the combination of radial force and rotation of the core.2 (c) Fully expanded example of the Flasher model. Two triangles with three sections apiece reach from the center of the pattern to the perimeter. (d) Variant of The Flasher used for the Horus.Picture for the Miura folding method by Koryo Miura.dsdf

Figure 5: Prototypes for Origami shapes and designs used to create the starshade (Origami inspires NASA to take on a math challenge).

References 👇

Cover photo: Some examples of origami designs at JPL. Engineers are exploring this ancient art form to create folding spacecraft. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Figure 1: A computer-generated model of the solar array as it might work on a spacecraft. The solar array is compact for launch, then deploys when in space. (Credit: Journal of Mechanical Design)

Figure 2: Picture for the starshade that NASA built to work as a giant star blocker, in hopes of imaging distant worlds.

Video: http://www.seeker.com/ from YouTube, description (NASA is using origami to build a giant star blocker, in hopes of imaging distant worlds).

Figure 3: Picture for the Miura folding method by Koryo Miura.

Figure 4: http://bigidea.nianet.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2018-BIG-Idea-Final-Paper_Princeton-1.pdf 

Figure 5:  Prototypes for Origami shapes and designs used to create the starshade (Origami inspires NASA to take on a math challenge).

El origami inspira a la NASA para afrontar un desafío matemático: https://www.europapress.es/ciencia/misiones-espaciales/noticia-origami-inspira-nasa-afrontar-desafio-matematico-20170925140328.html

NASA Gov.: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/nasa-s-new-shape-shifting-radiator-inspired-by-origamiThe University of Tokyo: https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/