Future Engineers recently announced 20 semifinalists in the “Two for the Crew” Challenge, the sixth in a series of design competitions tasking students to invent useful items for astronauts living in space.

Bellevue student Miles Chanbai is among the junior finalists ages 5-12.

Since reducing mass and volume are of the utmost importance in space exploration, participants were invited to engineer a multi-functional object that combined two items into one, with the intention of being 3D printed by astronauts on the International Space Station. The challenge, which began on Sept. 21, 2017, has selected 10 semifinalists in each age group.

The semifinalists are:

Teen Finalists (Ages 13-19):

· Ansel Austin, Cupertino, Calif. – TRILLIUM TOOL

· Austin Suder, Scottsdale, Ariz. – CARABINER TOOL CLIP

· Emily Takara, Cupertino, Calif. – TCSM CLIP

· Evan Yasick, West Olive, Mich. – MULTI CLIP STORAGE

· Liad Cohain, Encino, Calif. – THE NEXTGEN PLIERS

· Melina Slinn, Seattle, Wash. – TWEEZER SYRINGE

· Patrick O’Neill, York, Pa. – CRESCENT MOON

· Steven Lau-Robles, Los Alamitos, Calif. – THE CARACLIP

· Thomas Wong, Pepper Pike, Ohio – POCKET PENTA TOOL

· Trisha Sathish, Cupertino, Calif. – ILLUMINATED CABLE CLAMP (ICC)

Junior Finalists (Ages 5-12):

· Aditi Bhattamishra, Orange, Conn. – STUD-C-CLAMP

· Benjamin Nirenstein, Brooklyn, N.Y. – WIARES

· Gitanjali Rao, Lone Tree, Colo. – DENTAL HYGIENE KIT

· Hanna Shein, Deptford, N.J. – CLAMP-CONTAINER

· Jared Fisher, Deptford, N.J. – MAGNITWEEZERS

· Jason Qin, Virginia Beach, Va. – 2 PLIERS + 1 HANDLE

· Lucas Lee, Cupertino, Calif. – CCC

· Miles Chanbai, Bellevue, Wash. – BOX-CLAMP HYBRID

· Myles Fort, Ocean, N.J. – SCREWRENCH

· Nipun Rajan, Germantown, Tenn. – SUPER SPACE TOOL

Each semifinalist above has won a 3D printing in space prize pack and will progress to the next stage of the competition. All 565 entries can be viewed here.

The “Two for the Crew” Challenge was issued by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Foundation with technical assistance from NASA to engage students with the future of In-Space Manufacturing research while cultivating important STEM workforce skills. Future Engineers developed and hosted the challenge via its online education platform for K-12 students.

“I am so proud of the semifinalists and incredibly impressed by all the designs submitted,” said Deanne Bell, CEO and founder of Future Engineers. “These students re-invented standard objects and tools in ways I’ve never imagined before. Not only did they combine functionality together to save volume and mass, they also optimized for 3D printing in space while showcasing how creative engineering can be. I can’t wait to see how these budding K-12 innovators re-imagine our world next.”

The next stages of the competition culminate with four finalists in each age group announced on Feb.19 and the winners announced on March 14. MakerBot will donate a Replicator Mini+ 3D printer to the school, library or education organization of each finalist’s choice. The winner of the teen division will have his/her design 3D printed on the space station by Made In Space, Inc. and both winners will receive a trip to Washington D.C. for a VIP experience to learn about space exploration.

Previous Future Engineers challenges have called upon students to design 3D models of space tools, medical hardware and sustainable food solutions. Participating in Future Engineers challenges is free and the site provides links to complimentary design software, education resources, and teacher-specific tools.

For more information on the challenge, visit www.FutureEngineers.org/twoforthecrew. Follow Future Engineers on Twitter @k12futuree (#Two4Crew) or like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/K12futureengineers.