ME1.01 TDC-106 Lunar & Mars Surface Habitat Module Manufacturing

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Sponsor: NASA - Texas Space Grant Consortium (TSGC)

Student Team: Chloe Hinojosa, Liam Byrom, Tony Diehl, John Hearn, Scott Yeatman

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Austin Talley

The goal of this project is to develop a modular habitat that can withstand long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars. The habitat will be optimized for manufacturability through a hybrid approach, utilizing a combination of Earth-fabricated material and in-situ resource utilization. Key design goals include maintaining crew safety through radiation and thermal protection, maximizing mass and packaging efficiency for launch, and ensuring compliance with NASA’s Artemis and Mars mission standards. 


ME1.02 Meadows Center Diving Buoys

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Sponsor: The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment

Student Team: Logan Mallow, Ryan Beakly, Claudia Quilter, Andres Herrera

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Austin Talley

The purpose of the Meadows Center Diving Buoys Project is to develop new diver-below-buoys to be used in Spring Lake’s scuba-diving training area. Key product features required by the Meadows center include Product longevity and durability while conforming to strict environmental safety standards. To achieve this, the senior design team will investigate and address the various causes of environmental degradation of materials present at Spring Lake. Additionally, the team will review potential improvements to the current product while developing alternative diving buoys. The project will conclude with the fabrication and installation of four to six new diving buoys in Spring Lake.


ME1.03 HDPE Thermoforming Press

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Sponsor: Hunt & Hunt

Student Team: Mia De La Torre, Ankit Rai, Benedetta Murri, William Gellner, Corbin Whitaker

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Austin Talley

This project’s main objective is to design, fabricate, and test a machine that can successfully transform plastic, household items into desirable products. The main goal for our team is to develop a user-friendly machine which can repurpose HDPE in a feasible, cost-effective way. We aim to create a device which will compress, heat, press, and mold HDPE to yield an innovative product. 


ME1.04 Mini Golf Hole Redesign for Landa Park and Paddle TX

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Sponsor: Paddle TX

Student Team: Brian Earle, Collin Lueb, Landon Meade, Nikola Andric

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Austin Talley

We are tasked with designing, fabricating, and installing an obstacle for the Landa Park miniature golf course styled after the history and culture of New Braunfels, TX. Our design must include a dynamic mechanical function while still being durable enough to withstand elements and play. Along with this, ADA and safety regulations concerning mini golf courses must be followed so that anyone can enjoy the course. 


ME1.05 FSAE Passive Interconnected Hydraulic Suspension

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Sponsor: Bobcat Racing

Student Team: Reece Cavallo, West Masone, Kira Smith, Ethan Wilfur

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Austin Talley

This project focuses on the development of a passive hydraulic suspension system to be used in Bobcat Racing's current and future FSAE vehicles. The team is specifically seeking to decouple the four main chassis displacement modes through an interconnected system of hydraulic cylinders, reducing vibrations and increasing the ease of handling. Incorporated into the development of the suspension system will be a MATLAB-based model which will predict fluid flows, suspension forces, and the dynamic behavior of the chassis. This model will inform the creation of a scaled-down prototype and potentially a usable product.