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Battelle’s Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN) teamed up with the George Washington Carver Science Park at The Ohio State University for the second straight year in hosting a statewide design challenge related to Starlab, a next generation commercial space station being developed by Voyager Technologies. The culminating event of the three month challenge, a showcase and awards event, was held Tuesday morning in Columbus at the Battelle headquarters.

Presenting research internationally as a graduate student offers invaluable opportunities for academic growth and global networking. It not only enhances visibility within the global research community but also exposes students to diverse perspectives, fostering collaboration and innovation across borders. Cassidy Brozovich, Ian Harris, and Lindsey Shimoda did just that as a part of the Starlab - George Washington Carver Science Park (GWCSP) initiative at The Ohio State University earlier this month at the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (ASGSR) Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Architecture students are traditionally taught to design from the ground up. This semester, students in the Knowlton School’s Architecture Beyond Earth: Low Earth Orbit (LEO) studio explored design solutions at an altitude—approximately 1,200 miles from the earth’s surface—that challenged this foundational training.

Starlab Space LLC and The Ohio State University are welcoming Blue Abyss and Nexture Bio to the George Washington Carver Science Park (GWCSP). Both companies will play an important role in Starlab’s global network and mission to advance human technology by making in-space research and development more accessible and inclusive. Key to this effort is creating a sustainable space economy, supported by the strong Earth to space connection and state-of-the-art ground infrastructure provided to Starlab through the GWCSP at Ohio State.

In late August 2024, the Ohio State LUNARWELD Team – along with engineers & scientists from NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) -- traveled to Santa Maria, California, where they conducted parabolic flights to simulate microgravity and lunar gravity conditions in a vacuum chamber.

Each year, the Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN) hosts a design challenge where students collaborate to create a workable solution to key issues facing the world. With the continued partnership between the Starlab - George Washington Carver Science Park (GWCSP) at The Ohio State University and OSLN, a second iteration of a space-related design challenge kicked off on 9/12 at Ohio State, this year focusing on sustainability in space.

A group of Ohio State University College of Engineering senior capstone students and faculty, along with a team of NASA engineers, are developing an alternative – a robotic laser welding machine that can manufacture and join materials in space. The research project is funded by the Ohio Federal Research Network, which is managed by Parallax Advanced Research.

In 2019, NASA and the Canadian Space Agency launched the Deep Space Food Challenge, a multi-year international competition to develop sustainable food systems for long-term space missions, including on the moon and Mars. More than 300 teams from 32 countries participated in the contest and pitched their ideas for innovative food systems. The third and final phase of the challenge culminated on Aug. 16 at Ohio State. Winners across all three phases were awarded a total of $3 million.

In space, fine dining can be an alien experience. For one, no one can deliver takeout to the International Space Station. Likewise, because space food needs to be safe and nutritious, and last for at least five years, most of the fare onboard tends to be freeze-dried or packaged in disposable containers. Efforts to improve current food production systems so astronauts might have both nutritious and delicious menu choices was the focus of NASA’s Deep Space Food Challenge, the third and final phase of which was co-hosted by The Ohio State University.