whether it's a full-scale mock-up of the
shuttle used by astronauts for training
or display model of a futuristic lunar
transportation system a small group of
craftsmen at NASA's Johnson Space Center
has probably had a hand in their
construction for 30 years mottling has
been an integral part of engineering
support for the space program each
project whether large a small has its
own set of challenges according to
veteran model builder Mike McGuire it's
just skills acquired over a period of
time I don't believe there's a school
that you can actually go to and learn
everything that that's done out here in
the model shop it's it's a pretty unique
position the shop typically has a number
of projects going on at the same time
here Tom Luse more forms a part for a
space station vacuum cleaner that Roger
Magus inand Jack anthem Aten assembled
larger projects like this model of a
heat shield for space payloads go
through a series of trial stages before
the final component is built a low-cost
wood and fiberglass mock-up helps
engineers decide where to place
instruments and wiring a foam core model
assures that the heat shields tiles will
fit properly these are all necessary
steps taken before the final prototype
is built you're not going to go out and
buy a twenty-five-thousand-dollar chunk
of aluminum and mill that mill that all
the way down and suddenly you discovered
that's not what I wanted it all so it's
a lot easier to do it out of out of a
cheap material most model building is
still done by hand but recently
labor-saving computer-driven machinery
has taken over some of the tab
the model shops latest high-tech
apparatus literally grows parts out of
plastic with the aid of lasers and
computers JSC has one of only a few
laser stereo lithography machines in the
country Engineers can come into the shop
with apart they've designed and the
machine will build it by scanning laser
beams into a vat of light-sensitive
plastic minute by minute the laser
builds up layers of hardened resin a
part that might have taken a week to
machine can be completed overnight
although labor-saving devices play a
vital role in modeling it is the skill
and artistic ability of the people that
bring ideas to life the model builders
helping turn the concepts of today into
the flight hardware of tomorrow
you