MISSION BRIEFING

Activity: Assess the Structural Integrity of a Space Module

Prep time: 15 min 

Activity length: 60 min

Task: Participants will design, build, and test their

own space module. 

By the end of this activity participants will 

• Know that space modules must be lightweight to make

liftoff	less	difficult,	but	sturdy	enough	to	withstand

conditions in space.

• Understand the relationship between mass and weight.

• Be able to construct a space module that is sturdy and

lightweight.

Materials

• Cardboard tubes (10 cm),

aluminum cans, or similar

lightweight cylinders (1 per

team for use as an inside

cylinder)

• Mass (lead weights, coins,

large washers, or similar)

• 30 pieces of uncooked

spaghetti for each team

• Clear tape or lowtemperature glue gun with

cool-melt glue

• Index cards

• Paper and pencils

• Scissors

• Metric scale

• Rulers

 

 

Preparation

1. If using a glue gun, even with cool-melt glue, set up a glue

gun station for safety and supervision.

2. Determine the internal volume constraint for the space

module in advance of the lesson. Any lightweight cylinder

ranging in size from a toilet paper tube to a 12-oz aluminum

can will work.

Procedure

1. Provide each team 25 pieces of dry spaghetti noodles and

50 cm of tape (or one small glue stick).

2. When building is done, teams will test their structures

(record the mass held).

3. After testing, provide 5 additional spaghetti noodles and 

10 cm of tape for improvements.

4. Participants should test a second time and record the new

mass held.

10

MISSION BRIEFING

Activity: Assess the Structural Integrity of a Space Module

Prep time:

Activity length:

Task: Participants will design, build, and test their

own space module. 

15 min 

60 min

GATEWAY

Gateway, a vital component of NASA’s 

Artemis program, will serve as a 

multipurpose outpost orbiting the Moon. 

It will provide essential support for longterm human return to the lunar surface and 

serve as a staging point for deep space 

exploration. For more information about 

Gateway, visit www.nasa.gov/gateway.

MISSION GUIDANCE...

DO

• Provide all teams the

same number of spaghetti

noodles.

• Discuss challenge

constraints.

MAYBE

• Have participants build

again	with	a	different	fragile

material.

• Try spaghetti with a

different	thickness	to

manipulate	difficulty.

DON'T

• Allow participants to use

materials that are not

provided.

• Give participants structural

suggestions or show

examples.
Design Constraints

• The volume-constraint cylinder must fit completely and

securely within the spaghetti structure each team builds.

• Teams are only allowed to use the supplies provided. If they

make a mistake, they must reuse materials.

• Test the module frame standing upright on its end (oriented

like a soda can). There should be a gap between the top of

the volume-constraint cylinder and the spaghetti structure.

Test

Teams will test their designs by increasing the mass on the top of 

the design. The test stops if one (or more) of these three things 

happen: 

1. One of the pieces of spaghetti breaks/snaps.

2. The end of one of the pieces of spaghetti is detached from

the tape or glue.

3. Any of the spaghetti pieces bend to the point of touching

the top of the cylinder.

Extension

• Ask participants to build a new structure to protect a taller

cylinder.

• Add a cost constraint to the challenge and create a budget

for participants to “purchase” materials. Assign cost to

each piece of spaghetti and centimeter of tape. Challenge

participants to create the most efficient design (smallest

ratio of cost to mass supported).

• Repeat the challenge using different materials for the

structure.

Challenge Questions

• Which was most difficult: keeping the spaghetti from

bending, breaking, or becoming detached?

• Would this challenge be more difficult with a larger or smaller

cylinder used as a size constraint? Why?

• What was the purpose of the design constraints? Why were

you limited in how much the spaghetti could bend?

Spaghetti structure

Cylinder

ARTEMIS CAMP

EXPERIENC E

11