Space Station Dining Table
2022. Conceptual Design.
Executed under the supervision of:
Larry Toups - Exploration Mission Planning Office at Johnson Space Center, NASA
Dr. Olga Bannova - Director of the Space Architecture Graduate Program, Houston University
With input from:
Albert Magh - Project manager of Wetlab 1 at Johnson Space Center, NASA
David Fitts - Associate Chief for Human Systems Integration, NASA
Currently, most research on space food design has emphasised the functional and nutritional aspects of food. What’s lacking about dining at the ISS is the human factor. How can the tools be adapted to the human rather than the other way around?
The Galley Table at the International Space Station: a trade-off between biological and engineering constraints
Though the Galley Table is rigid and stable, it is over-engineered for a Zero-G habitat. In the constant state of weightlessness up in space, structural support standards are of less significance compared to here on earth.
Using an elastic net as a tabletop reduces the weight of the construction and allows the users to stick loose objects in the grid. Taking away the need to use tape and velcro declutters and reduces the messy appearance of the table.
The design is configurable in size and allows an astronaut to single-handedly extend the table through a button that functions like ones on luggage handles. The tabletop rolls up automatically like in a roller shade, creating a constant tension on the surface.
