K-State Salina Students Create ISS Emergency VR Simulation for Cosmosphere
A senior capstone project brings high-fidelity aerospace emergency training to Kansas STEAM campers.
Senior students at Kansas State University Salina have developed an immersive virtual reality experience designed to simulate a critical emergency aboard the International Space Station. The project, titled "ISS Rupture Simulation," was created as a senior capstone to enhance educational programming for campers at the Kansas Cosmosphere.
In the simulation, participants are thrust into a high-stakes scenario where they must maintain the integrity of the space station. Users employ an audio amplifier to pinpoint the location of air leaks within the module and subsequently repair the breaches using branded patches. The development team consisted of students Diego Hinojosa, Dylan Hoeffner, Jacob Klataske, Alec Mendoza, Hunter Taylor, William Ramberg, and Zabdiel Ramirez, working under the guidance of professors Dr. Balaji Balasubramaniam, Dr. Annie Hoekman, and Dr. Michael Oetken.
Expanding Aerospace Education
The project is the latest result of an ongoing partnership between K-State Salina and the Cosmosphere, located in Hutchinson, Kansas. This collaboration aims to elevate aerospace education across the state by integrating virtual and augmented reality tools into the curriculum. By focusing on these technologies, the partnership seeks to equip students with technical skills that align with the evolving needs of the aerospace industry while igniting a broader interest in STEM fields.
The Impact of Immersive Learning
This initiative highlights the utility of university capstone projects in producing functional, real-world educational tools. By integrating VR into its summer camp programming, the Cosmosphere can provide high-fidelity training scenarios that would be physically impossible to replicate on the ground. This immersive approach to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) education allows students to engage with complex engineering problems in a safe, controlled environment, potentially inspiring a new generation of aerospace engineers and space scientists.
Future Outlook
The simulation is now positioned to expand STEAM opportunities for the Cosmosphere's youth programs. While the project has successfully moved from a student concept to a functional educational tool, the partnership between the university and the museum continues to explore how emerging technologies can further bridge the gap between academic study and practical aerospace application. This synergy ensures that students are not just learning theory, but are interacting with the same types of simulation tools used by professional aerospace agencies to prepare for the hazards of low-earth orbit.