Based on the “Living Like in Space” theme and the provided timeline, here is a project plan that aligns with SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. The survival techniques used in space serve as a perfect analogy for a closed-loop, circular economy on Earth.
1. Define Purpose & Scope
This initial phase establishes the core principles of the project, focusing on the essential question: “How can we live like astronauts to promote a circular economy on Earth?”
- R&D Whitepaper Focus: A preliminary whitepaper titled “Orbital Economics: Applying Space Station Circularity to Terrestrial Living.”
- Home Environment: Students define a personal “space mission” to reduce household waste for one week. This involves auditing daily consumption.
- School Environment: The class defines the scope of their school’s food waste problem by measuring and categorizing cafeteria and lunch scraps.
- Field Environment: Students interview local recycling or composting facility managers to understand the “purpose and scope” of their operations and identify what materials are (and are not) processed.
2. Job Analysis & Assessment
This phase moves from defining the problem to assessing the skills and resources needed to address it. Students will analyze the “jobs” of an astronaut to see how their roles relate to sustainability on Earth.
- Udemy-style Course: “The Astronaut’s Job: Waste Management & Resourcefulness.” This course would use the provided video and others to analyze how astronauts manage air, water, and waste in a closed system.
- SessionLab-style Workshop: A collaborative session where students “assess” their household or school’s current consumption habits and identify “leaks” in the system (e.g., single-use plastics).
- Autodesk Instructable Project: “Build a Simple Filtration System.” Students will design and build a small-scale water filter to understand the importance of water recycling, a key component of living in space.
3. Design the JobStation
This is the creative and technical phase where students design a “JobStation” to solve a specific problem identified in the assessment phase. The JobStation is the practical application of their R&D whitepaper.
- Udemy-style Course: “Design Thinking for Sustainable Systems.” This course would teach students to apply design principles to sustainability challenges.
- SessionLab-style Workshop: A design sprint where teams use a collaborative tool to sketch and present their “JobStation” concepts, such as a smart composting bin or a multi-material recycling sorter.
- Autodesk Instructable Project: “Design and Print a Custom Tool.” Students use CAD software to design a tool that helps them manage waste, like a compactor for plastic bottles, and then 3D print it.
4. Implement & Re-evaluate
The final phase is about putting the plans into action and measuring their success, just as astronauts monitor every metric on a mission. This closes the loop of the project.
- R&D Whitepaper Focus: A final report that synthesizes the project findings and proposes a scalable, circular model for the community based on the insights gained.
- Home Environment: Students implement their designed “JobStation” for a week and track key metrics, such as waste volume or water savings.
- School Environment: The school implements the smart composting system and re-evaluates their waste management strategy based on the data collected.
- Field Environment: Students present their findings and whitepaper to the local recycling facility, proposing new, innovative solutions for waste management in the community.
