Additional Requirements for Students Projects

Table of Contents

1. Tools......................................................................................................................................................2

Electrical Power Requirements.................................................................................................................2

Pneumatic Power Requirements..............................................................................................................3

2. Other Requirements .............................................................................................................................3

Environmental Condition – NBL Pool Use:................................................................................................3

Acceptable Materials for use in the NBL...................................................................................................3

Sharp Edges and Protrusions....................................................................................................................3

Water Entrapment....................................................................................................................................3

Labels........................................................................................................................................................3

Loads.........................................................................................................................................................3

Appendix A: NBL Materials List.....................................................................................................................4

NBL Approved Foam Material List ............................................................................................................4

NBL Approved Coatings Material List .......................................................................................................4
Updated 8/16/2023 This documented is intended for the participants of Micro-g NExT. 2

1. Tools

a. All International Space Station tools must have a tether loop which will allow the test subject to 

use a tether with hooks (similar to a carabiner hook) to restrain the tool. 

b. All tools must be operable with extravehicular activity (EVA) gloved hands. 

c. Tools must not have holes or openings which would allow/cause entrapment of fingers. 

Electrical Power Requirements

a. Acceptable Power Sources

i. 12VDC 25A power source supplied by the NBL

ii. Up to 30VDC or less marine grade AGM sealed batteries for devices being submerged 

underwater

iii. Up to 30VDC ROV batteries for devices no submerged underwater 

b. The interface connection will consist of positive and negative female banana plug connections 

(see photo below).

Figure 1: NBL Banana Plug Recetacle (electrical power)

Figure 2: Example Banana Plug Connectors

c. Tool must incorporate a verifiable barrier to electric shock. A 25A fuse should be incorporated 

into the cable from the project to the power supply.

i. It is highly recommended that the fuse be located near the power supply end of the 

cable. 

ii. Do not locate the fuse internal to your project. The proper fuse must be visually verified, 

or the project will not be allowed underwater.

d. Use adequate strain relief to help mitigate detachment of the umbilical (where it attaches to the 

vehicle). Ensure the strain relief does not interfere with the operation of the vehicle (e.g. block 

movement of a rudder).
Updated 8/16/2023 This documented is intended for the participants of Micro-g NExT. 3

Pneumatic Power Requirements

a. Student projects will be allowed to connect to the NBL’s compressed air system:

i. Pressure – 125 psig

ii. NBL Shop Air Connector details:

• Grainger: Coupler Plug, M(NPT), Item #1HLZ8, Mfr. Model #A73440-BG

o Note: female P/N is 1HLZ9

• Quick Coupler Body, (F)NPT, Steel Item #1HUK7, Mfr. Model #A73410-BG

• JSC Engineering will supply the umbilicals

2. Other Requirements

Environmental Condition – NBL Pool Use:

a. A totally submerged condition in water that contains a range of 0.5 to 3.5 parts per million of 

free chlorine. 

b. Ambient temperature range: +82°F (27.8°C) to +88°F (31.1°C). 

c. Some of the projects may be tested on the pool floor at a depth of 40 feet. 

Acceptable Materials for use in the NBL

a. Allowable materials: typical engineering metal alloys (e.g. stainless steel, aluminum, titanium), 

plastics, composites, or soft good materials are acceptable for short term testing in the pool. 

b. Allowable lubricants, coatings, foam, or adhesives are shown in Appendix A.

c. Other materials (e.g. gels) must be approved for use in the pool. 

Sharp Edges and Protrusions

a. Due to the potential for personal injury to diving support personnel and damage to the EVA suit, 

the mockup components shall not contain sharp edges or be capable of cutting or puncturing 

items coming into contact with them. 

b. Avoid, or protect the handler from, pinch points and/or sharp edges. 

c. The hardware shall be designed to specify manufacturing to remove burrs, break all sharp 

edges, and round all corners. 

Water Entrapment

a. Mockups and hardware shall be designed with drain holes or geometry to allow the free flow of 

air and water as required to support submersion and removal to and from the NBL pool. 

Labels

a. The hardware provided shall have labels as follows:

i. Mate/de-mate alignment marks, operation indicators, as required. 

ii. Caution and warning tags for hazard areas (e.g. pinch points, sharp edges, etc.)

iii. Hardware identification. 

iv. Additional safety labels may be requested following the Test Readiness Review.

Loads

a. The hardware must withstand normal handling or kickloads and not present a safety hazard. 
Updated 8/16/2023 This documented is intended for the participants of Micro-g NExT. 4

Appendix A: NBL Materials List

NBL Approved Foam Material List

Material Designation Manufacturer

DOW Polystyrene Highload 60 Grade Blue Foam 

(64 lb/ft3 buoyancy)

Ryder Insulation Corporation

Last-A-Foam (20 lb/ft3 buoyancy) General Plastics Manufacturing Corporation

NBL Approved Coatings Material List

Product Suggested Vendors

Carboline 139 (Paint) Carboline Company

Carbomastic 15M500 and 890 Carboline Company

Dupont 25P Briggs Weaver

Ethone M-0-N (Marking Ink)

Ethone M-5-N (Marking Ink)

Ethone M-9-N (Marking Ink)

Hi-Solids Catalyzed Epoxy The Sherwin-Williams Company

NSP 120 NSP Specialty Products

Plasite 7122 (Paint) Wisconsin Protective Coatings Corp. 

UT Plast Super (non-epoxy) UTP Welding Technology 

NBL Approved Lubricants

Material Designation Manufacturer

Braycote 601 Castrol Specialty Prod.

Braycote 602 Castrol Specialty Prod.

Braycote 803RP Castrol Specialty Prod.

Christo-lube MCG-117 Lubrication Tech. Inc. 

Halocarbon 25-10M Halocarbon Corp. 

Halocarbon 25-20M Halocarbon Corp. 

Halocarbon 25-5S Halocarbon Corp. 

Halocarbon 25-5SI Halocarbon Corp. 

Halocarbon 27S Halocarbon Corp. 

Halocarbon X90-10MS Halocarbon Corp. 

Krytox 280 AC Dupont

Krytox 240 AC Dupont

LOX-8 Fluoramics Inc. 

Lubricant/Tef-Gel PTFE 9002-84-0 Utility Safety Systems Inc. 

Mobil - 28 Mobile

SAF-T-EZE SAF-T-EZE Div, STL Compound Corp

Tiolube 460 Dry Film Lubricant Tiodize Co., Inc., Huntington Beach, CA
Updated 8/16/2023 This documented is intended for the participants of Micro-g NExT. 5

Tiodize Type II (Titanium Hard Coat) Tiodize Co., Inc., Huntington Beach, CA

Tiodize Type IV (Tiodize Type I plus Tiolon X40 

Teflon Coating)

Tiodize Co., Inc., Huntington Beach, CA
Updated 8/16/2023 This documented is intended for the participants of Micro-g NExT. 6

Appendix B: Previously Approved Materials

Acceptable Materials – Supplemental 

a. Metal adhesive – Supreme 10HT from Masterbond

i. Must be fully cured

b. Nylon – Prohibited from the standpoint of reliability for NBL hardware in terms of continuous or 

long-term submersion but should be acceptable for this application. We could have scrubbed 

this material from the “prohibited” list for the competition, but the prohibited part was strictly 

intended for the continuous use NBL hardware used for EVA training.

c. Nitinol (Nickel Titanium) – approved

d. Loctite Epoxy Plastic Bonder – Can be used in the manufacture of their tool outside of the NBL, 

once its cured, there shouldn’t be any issue. If they want to use/apply it in the facility, then then 

would need to go through the process for approval, make sure we have the correct safety PPE 

and precautions, etc.

e. The following are allowed into the NBL as long as they are fully dried and cured:

i. Krylon Enamel Spray Paint (purchased at Lowes Home Improvement)

ii. Painters Fine Tip Red Paint Pen (purchased from Walmart) (Oil Based)

iii. JB Weld (purchased at Lowes Home Improvement)

iv. Kingspan Insulation R10 Unfaced Polystyrene Foam Board Insulation (Purchased from 

Lowes Home Improvement)

f. FOAMULAR 150 Extruded Polystyrene Insulation manufactured by Owens Corning (Purchased 

from Home Depot) 

i. Link: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Owens-Corning-FOAMULAR-150-2-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ftR-10-Scored-Squared-Edge-Insulation-Sheathing-45W/100320352