Reverse Engineered and Development of a Replica NASA Space Helmet

Customers in many industries use Interactive CAD Solutions to transform their ideas into marketable products within tight time constraints. We worked with a customer in the consumer products industry to design a replica bubble helmet for the lucrative collectibles market. They provided us access to a model of an actual NASA space helmet that we reverse engineered using cutting edge scanning and measurement systems.

A CMM was used to provide highly accurate dimensional measurements. We the 3D scanned the helmet on our Steinbichler Optotechnik Blue Light Scanning system. Newly acquired, this advanced scanning equipment quickly provides extremely high precision results; it is also very versatile allowing us to scan with equal precision in very demanding environments. The combination of 3D scanning and CMM measurements delivers dimensional data within ±0.005" of the original.

The assembly consisted of a neck lining ring as well as the helmet upholstery, shell, and visor. We created a scaled down CAD model and built rapid prototypes to validate and qualify the design. After creating a computer model of the molds that would be used for production manufacturing, we simulated the processing based on the flow characteristics of the resin. These predictive tools enabled us to make design refinements to ensure that the helmet replica would be produced accurately and uniformly.

The timeframe for this project was three weeks, which gave our client strategic advantage on their time-to-market goal. To learn more about this project or how our design engineering capabilities can get you to market faster, contact us today.

Replica NASA Space Helmet Project Highlights