LATCH — Nicholas Lopez

FIG. 01 / SPEC

01 / REQUIREMENTS

Core NASA Requirements

Request by NASA

To develop novel concepts for a lightweight pressurized tunnel system that can provide active positioning and berthing between crewed surface assets on Mars.

Mission Requirements

R1 The LATCH mission shall provide the capability to transport at least two crew members wearing IVA suits, carrying cargo, between surface elements on Mars.

R2 The LATCH mission shall provide a controlled, habitable environment between surface elements that is isolated from the Martian environment.

R3 The LATCH mission shall last throughout the duration of crewed surface operations on Mars.

R4 The LATCH mission shall reduce power consumption, mass, and crew operation time compared to previous mission designs.

Design

[ Lead line — one sentence describing the LATCH design work ]

[ Designed lower-half prototype including drive and actuation systems ]
[ Modeled attachment mechanism connecting tunnel to habitat ]
[ Iterated linkage geometry for smooth deployment kinematics ]
[ Balanced mass, packaging, and manufacturability for prototype build ]

FIG. 02A — NL

[ CAD ASSEMBLY ]latch-design-1.jpg

FIG. 02B — NL

[ MECHANISM ]latch-design-2.jpg

[ Single caption describing both images — e.g., "Full lower-half assembly with attachment mechanism callout" ]

Manufacturing

[ Lead line — one sentence describing the build ]

[ Fabricated lower-half prototype using shop tools and materials ]
[ Welded steel substructure for load-bearing frame ]
[ Machined wood components for lightweight paneling ]
[ Iterated fitment between components during assembly ]

FIG. 03A — NL

[ BUILD ]latch-mfg-1.jpg

FIG. 03B — NL

[ ASSEMBLY ]latch-mfg-2.jpg

Testing

[ Test 1 name ]

[ 2-3 sentence blurb describing this test — what was tested, how it was set up, what the result showed. Keep specific and technical. ]

FIG. 04A — NL

[ TEST 1 ]latch-test-1.jpg

[ Test 2 name ]

[ 2-3 sentence blurb describing this test — what was tested, how it was set up, what the result showed. Keep specific and technical. ]

FIG. 04B — NL

[ TEST 2 ]latch-test-2.jpg

[ Test 3 name ]

[ 2-3 sentence blurb describing this test — what was tested, how it was set up, what the result showed. Keep specific and technical. ]

FIG. 04C — NL

[ TEST 3 ]latch-test-3.jpg