SpaceLab is a program at Singapore American School that selects a team of students to design, engineer, and build an experiment to send off to the International Space Station (ISS). This year, the 2023–24 SpaceLab team’s experiment aims to understand the feasibility of cultivating plastic-eating Microspora in space, and comparing its plastic degradation rates to the one on Earth. This complex study takes place in a tiny capsule—SpaceLab’s members must use strategic problem-solving skills to ensure the experiment is a success. For this reason, the member base is divided into four teams. Read below to understand each team’s roles and progress!

Starting with the mechanical team, the engineers are responsible for designing, printing, and assembling the capsule. Using CAD software Fusion360, each part of the capsule is carefully crafted using the team’s technical skills. For this year’s experiment, the team created a range of parts, such as a container for the Microspora, a mount and spacer for the camera, a fluidic bag compartment, and a pump submodule. After the designs are complete, the team prints out the pieces using an Ultimaker 2.0 3D printer and begins to assemble the parts. As the space departure deadline for the capsule approaches, the team is in the stage of making revisions, assembling and disassembling parts to see what fits best.

Next, our software team is essential to creating communication between our capsule and the ISS through Arduino code. Specifically, each software engineer must ensure that the code is able to consistently connect with the ISS with a MCMek control board. Because of this, the team is able to record the conditions of the Microlab when in space, providing quantitative results to be used in further research. When the Microlab lands on the ISS, data is collected in waves, and uploaded to the MCMek to update the team on Earth. The code aims to capture images of the experiment every hour for qualitative data analysis and also takes humidity, CO2, and temperature readings every 15 minutes. Currently, the code is a work in progress, involving a lot of troubleshooting and debugging.

Next, the electrical team plays an essential role in deciphering circuitry for essential electrical components, including the CO2 sensor, the pump, and LED lights. Their responsibilities involve creating detailed schematics to map out the intricate connections to make this experiment possible, bridging the work of the software and mechanical teams together. A recent accomplishment includes successfully connecting a CO2 sensor with a printed circuit board (PCB), showcasing their expertise in both conceptualization and hands-on skills like soldering for seamless electronic functionality.

Finally, the outreach and experimental team serves as the connection between SpaceLab and external stakeholders, fostering connections with two NUS professor mentors and the program overseer in the US. They actively engage the public through SpaceLab's Instagram account, providing regular updates on the team’s progress. Additionally, the team collaborates with SAS’s communications team to publish articles highlighting SpaceLab's achievements, and also consistently sends documentation over to NASA to validate the experiment. Beyond communication, the team actively contributes to experimentation, implementing insights from mentors, such as incorporating petri dishes for enhanced microspora growth.

Each team has played a vital role in the success and construction of the experiment. Meeting consistently, at least three times a week, and even during breaks, the dedication of the SpaceLab team has been unwavering. The culmination of the team’s hard work is the send-off of the capsule to space, which is on the horizon. With a shared hope for success, the team eagerly anticipates a positive outcome of their collaborative work!