Generative Space Architectures at JPL

NASA JPL’s experimental division is using generative design to create a lander for an unmanned trip to the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. Raul Polit-Casillas explains how.

When it comes to space travel, less is more: the lower the mass and volume of a module bound for space, the better, as long as it can still do its job. For an unmanned trip to the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, NASA JPL’s experimental Atelier division is using generative design to create a more effective, efficient lander. Raul Polit-Casillas of NASA JPL explains how, working in partnership with Autodesk, his team was able to reduce the mass of their lander design by 30%, while designing for proven manufacturing processes trusted for space flight, such as casting and milling. “With generative design, you need to rethink your process,” says Polit-Casillas. “The results will only be as good as the questions you ask.”

About the speaker

Raul Polit-Casillas is a highly innovative Spanish space architect, entrepreneur, and technologist working at the intersection of design, engineering, and technical cultural change. After founding an architecture and tech studio, he has worked at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA/Caltech) as a systems mechanical engineer, project chief engineer/architect, and technologist for the last 8 years.

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