Maker Faire Bay Area 2024
Designing Stuff for SPACE!
Home: California, United States
How do astronauts take a shower in space? That's one of many questions they get asked all the time. Listen to author Samuel Coniglio talk about his new book "Creature Comforts in Space": designing enjoyment and sustainability for off-world living. A veteran of Maker Faires since 2009, Samuel has a dichotomy of experience in both the aerospace world and the Maker world. He worked on the Space Shuttle and Space Station programs as a NASA contractor in the 1990's and later became a space activist promoting Space Tourism. On the side, he is a Maker at Obtainium Works, an art car factory famous for the Neverwas Haul Victorian House on Wheels. Listen to him discuss how to turn the dangers of space travel into design constraints so that you can make future space stations more fun!
https://retro-futurist.com
Makers
Samuel Coniglio
Samuel Coniglio is a space futurist and technical writer. Member of the Space Tourism Society, he researches off-world domestic concepts. His Zero Gravity Cocktail Glass and Cocktail-making robots won international acclaim. His new book “Creature Comforts in Space” guides designers to create an enjoyable and sustainable off-world lifestyle.
https://retro-futurist.com
What Inspired You to Make This?
As a space activist, I am surrounded by engineers and scientists who talk about how Space Travel can benefit humanity. The problem is they keep focusing on rockets, robots, and scientific experiments. They neglect the issue of improving basic human survival in space for long term growth and sustainability. My experience at Maker Faires taught me that having a DIY mindset can be very helpful for inventing new things. Working with artists gave me the chance to grow my creativity. I have built mockups and prototypes of various space-related items and also just for fun. That experience helped me look at the space industry from a new perspective: as a designer. I hope that the ideas in this book will inspire a new generation of space architects and industrial designers to make life off-world fun and enjoyable.
