GAMMA: Space Exploration Lander

Scientists think the most likely places to find extraterrestrial life in our solar system are the moons of Saturn and Jupiter — hundreds of millions of miles away from Earth. Creating an interplanetary lander that can travel extreme distances in the harsh conditions of space presents a massive challenge. Autodesk and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory teamed up to explore new approaches to design and manufacturing processes for space exploration, applying generative-design technology.

I was fortunate enough to lead a multi-disciplinary team at Autodesk through the software prototyping, design, and manufacture of the concept lander. Every kilogram of mass that can be cut from the structural payload enables a critical increase in scientific instruments that can be launched. GAMMA leverages generative design and advanced manufacturing to achieve a mass reduction of 35% for the main structural component of the lander, compared to a conventional design.

GAMMA is the most complex generative design to date, meeting some of the most rigorous engineering standards to answer one of the grandest challenges – the discovery of life beyond earth.

Created by: Karl Willis, Daniele Grandi, Andreas Bastian, Arthur Harsuvanakit, John Schmier, Mark Davis, Raul Polit Casillas, Rafael Martinez, Christine Gebara, Tom Cwik

Awards: Best Design - North America Finalist / Experimental Finalist / Mobility Finalist, Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards 2019, Strategy & Research Award Runner Up / Transportation Award Notable, Core77 Design Awards 2019, Best Prototype or Innovation, American Foundry Society Casting of the Year Award 2019 (cast by TEI).

Selected Press: Fast Company, BBC, The Verge, Modern Machine Shop, Space.com