Generative design goes out of this world – and into the mainstream

Alien-looking structures could soon be flying high above the Earth’s surface – but they will not be extra-terrestrial in origin. Instead, they were designed and built by NASA for the US space agency’s balloon-carried EXoplanet Climate Infrared TElescope (Excite), which could take off as early as this autumn.

“They look somewhat alien and weird,” said designer Ryan McClelland, research engineer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre in Maryland. “But once you see them in function, it really makes sense.”

The reason for the components’ unique, organic look is the technique used to create them – generative design. The process starts with a CAD specialist considering the mission requirements and drawing in surfaces where the part has to connect to the instrument or spacecraft, as well as any bolts and fittings for electronics and other hardware. The designer might also block off certain paths, for access or other practical reasons.

Once all off-limits areas are defined, the AI-based program “connects the dots”, McClelland said, producing complex structure designs in as little as an hour or two. The application can generate many more designs than human engineers, checking each one against pre-set criteria...

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