Welcome! We’re Bruin Spacecraft Group, a multidisciplinary organization founded with the intent of providing a creative and supportive environment for space mission design and development at UCLA. Our teams comprise students of all backgrounds, majors, and personalities: artists and physicists, businessmen and women, scientists and engineers. We’re not just building the next generation of space pioneers–we are making an impact here and now at UCLA.
We are currently pursuing four independent engineering projects: Project Rapid, Project Reach, Project Overseer, and the Sandbox Initiative (learn more at bruinspace.com).
For this Spark Campaign, we are asking for your help to make Sandbox Initiative a success. This year’s Sandbox challenge was to create and submit a proposal to NASA’s Micro-g NExT competition–a program that challenges undergraduates to design a tool for astronauts to use in a microgravity environment.
Last December, NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) announced that two teams from Bruin Space have had their proposals accepted and will be traveling to the Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston to test their devices alongside NASA engineers. We are extraordinarily proud of our members, but we currently lack the funds to make this dream of visiting NASA JSC a reality.
This is where you come in! The costs of building designs, testing tools, and travelling to Houston quickly add up. Your donation, no matter what size, will directly help us send our undergrads to the Neutral Buoyancy Lab.
Donate today to help our organization reach to the stars.
Sampling celestial objects can help us learn about their composition and origins, but collecting samples from moving objects in micro-gravity conditions is no simple task. To address this challenge, our Surface Sampling team designed the Kinetic Propulsion Sampling Device. This handheld device first uses mechanical spring power to launch a projectile that disrupts and collects the surface layer of a given sampling area.
Surface Team Members:
Sai Sasank - Assistant Engineer
John Theurer - Assistant Engineer
Nadine Tabucol - Lead Engineer
Alexander Gonzalez - Lead Designer
Ruiyao (Lacey) Sun - Outreach (not pictured)
Also pictured: Alex Blaya - Sandbox Initiative Project Manager
Subsurface sampling is one of a space probe’s most important activities, as substances below the surface are preserved in their original form, unaffected by harsh solar radiation and extreme temperatures. Members of the ‘Drillers at UCLA,’ ourSubsurface Sampling team, created Excalibur, a manually operated acquisition drill designed to tackle dynamic missions–it is capable of sampling materials ranging from loose regolith to those harder than sandstone!
Subsurface Team Members:
Ariel Lavi - Safety Operations Manager
Kyle Johnson - Mechanical Engineer
Chloe Liau - Lead Engineer
Aditya Gorla - Mechanical Engineer (not pictured)
Jose Cebreros - Outreach Manager (not pictured)
Don't have much to give? Anything helps! One day left, donate 1 dollar! Just like the JWST, better late than never!
You are a pioneer in support of this project!
You are a true explorer! Enjoy one of our out-of-this-world posters! (A $22 tax-deductible gift!)
You are going further than exploration, you are a true trailblazer! Enjoy your choice of 2 posters! (A $44 tax-deductible gift!)
You are taking the first step to helping us explore the wonders of the solar system! With this level you can get 2 posters of your choice, and a Bruin Space T-Shirt! (A $74 tax-deductible gift!)
Just as Gemini paved the way to the moon, you too are paving the way for our students! Enjoy 2 posters, a Bruin Space T-Shirt, and a special shout out on all of our social media! (A $224 tax-deductible gift!)
Apollo changed the world, with this donation you will change ours! Thank you and enjoy 2 posters, a Bruin Space T-Shirt, and a special shout out on all of our social media, and a printed blueprint of our team's technology! (A $471 tax-deductible gift!)
You are setting the stage for the future of space technology! You are amazing! 2 posters, a Bruin Space T-Shirt, and a special shout out on all of our social media, a printed blueprint of our student's technology, and a meet and greet with the team! (A $971 tax deductible gift!)
Beam us up, Scotty! You are the hero of our galaxy! When you give at this level, you will be funding our entire Migro-g Sandbox project! To thank you, we will create a permanent commemorative plaque with your name that will live in our lab for years to come.