Designing The Future of Space Tourism- Let's Catch Up #14
Zero G cups, valuable kimchi waste, Hive packaging awards, iKamper rooftop tents, habitable fashion, Icypoles to support Motor Neurone Disease research
Happy Monday! I hope a few people managed to catch the Aurora Australis last weekend, the most incredible atmospheric display that was visible to the naked eye (this is an enhanced edit from my pixel). In honour of this cosmic phenomena I prompt you all to think beyond our Earth and be inspired by leading developments in aerospace. Let’s catch up.
Aerospace- Space Tourism Boost with First Space Lounge Launching in 2025
Maybe the only way I might eventually venture to space, tourism. With every passing year space tourism gets closer. Now Space Perspective’s Neptune capsule has been unveiled ahead of it’s 2025 launch. The interior design is a marvel and well thought out for the predicted 6hr journey. Catering for upto eight passengers, the space delivers a spacious feeling considering the circular capsule and even has a spa bathroom. Every detail of the experience has been mapped out from the biophilic effect of having plants throughout to create a calm, connecting to the earth right through to the selection of materials and lighting adding to the calm, relaxed vibe of the capsule. It’s not all show on the Neptune with safety paramount to the design with both a primary and secondary parachute for emergencies. Interestingly the exterior colour scheme has been dictated by the necessity to be able to withstand temperature requirements of space. Everything in this has been painstakingly looked at, even the bottom ‘cone’ that assists with entry and stabilisation in water to keep the capsule upright whilst awaiting pickup.
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Product Design- NASA Zero-G Drinking Cup
Credit NASA
I love the wonder of physics and products that harness ingenuity for a great solution to a challenge. In space drinking is no simple task, because of the difficulty a novel space cup was designed to enable easy drinking in space. Now the real beauty in this strange, xenomorphic cup is that it utilises a principle of capillary channel flow that means liquid is naturally drawn to a crevice-like edge and will stay there. This was utilised to create a cup that could contain liquid and be used like a regular cup and draw water towards the spout of the cup for consumption. At the same time a very useful drinking vessel in space but nothing more than a unique cup on Earth.
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Sustainability- Waste Kimchi Upcycled Into Biodegradable Plastic
Credit Makafood
I love kimchi, as I write this my mouth salivates as much as my brain excites to the news of waste kimchi being used to create an alternative to petroleum based plastic! One third of cabbage crop is lost in the manufacture and distribution of kimchi around the world. The waste by-product can be turned into a biodegradable plastic material that decomposes naturally under specific conditions (Not home compostable at this stage unfortunately). This technology has the possibility of being applied to other waste streams from agricultural industries and is a great example of turning waste into valuable product whilst reducing the notorious impact of petroleum based plastics.
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Packaging- Don Smallgoods Takes Hive Packaging Award
Credit Don Smallgoods
The Hive Awards in Sydney this week have awarded Don Smallgoods with the packaging innovation award for their new resealable smallgoods packaging. This should be the baseline for plastic packaging design and not what is heralded as ‘leading’ or award worthy. That aside, the new packaging has addressed several key concerns from consumers on functionality, sustainability and recyclability. The reseal function has enable the reseal and prevention of early perspiring, thus preventing food waste. The soft plastic is both CEFLEX and APCO 2025 compliant with a separate internal cartonboard tray that can be recycled. Even with some great steps in the right direction they ensure that their use of petroleum based plastic is reduced as much as possible as they have managed to reduce their plastic content in each pack by 50%.
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Product Design- iKamper Brings Comfort Oriented Durable Rooftop Tents
Credit iKamper
The iKamper Skycamp Deluxe is bringing more than an all black sleek, well designed camp experience with heightened mood modifiers such as LED lighting embedded, inflatable mattress and soft cork flooring. For camping enthusiasts, this is for you as it not only boasts comfy features, easy access and setup assembly but it can fit 4 people comfortably. The hardshell design is accompanied by durable hard wearing fabric to ensure you will get a lot of use from this tent.
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Fashion Design- Nike Habitable Fashion
Credit Nike ISPA
Ever had to wait in a line in the cold and freezing rain, awaiting the launch of an item to put on your feet that are now drenched? Well Nike has you covered for those long lines for their latest launches. Now all jokes aside, the textile design to create a tent that can be worn like a jacket is actually very impressive with their ability to integrate the zips, poles, toggles and odd ‘tent’ shape into a wearable item. Now rather than be for the poor consumer who wants to sleep overnight to ensure their spot how about Nike gives this to refugees or the homeless?
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FMCG- Peter’s Ice Cream Partnership Raising Funds For Motor Neurone Disease
Credit Peter’s Ice Cream
Glad to see brand’s stepping up and support social causes. Peter’s Icy Poles will be donating $1 from each sale of the classic product to research and development of treatments for Motor Neurone Disease (MND). At this high inflation time with considerably low consumer confidence in FMCG I think brands can find ways to appeal to their target market.