Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School students designed a new tool pouch for astronauts. (Kim Tunnicliffe/WBZ NewsRadio)
FRANKLIN, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — An invention developed by several juniors at Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School in Franklin may be headed to space.
Five students were tasked to create a new tool pouch for astronauts at the International Space Station.
It looks like a large trapper keeper loose-leaf binder, but with hard plastic instead of pages, and secure sockets and clasps to hold wrenches and screwdrivers.
Averi Ayre of North Attleboro explained to WBZ NewsRadio's Kim Tunnicliffe how the students used sticky material to allow astronauts to secure the binder inside the ISS.
"We also have our fixate gel pad, the alternative of velcro," Ayre said. "NASA really doesn't want to use velcro anymore."
Eric Kugler, 17, said they made two other prototypes first.
"There's a lot of collaboration between us five, a lot of deliberation of how we're gonna make this, what we're gonna be using, trial and error pretty much," he said.
The students' invention made it to the finals at NASA in Houston, meaning they can now collaborate on their product with the space agency, according to teacher Kristen Magas.
"I'm hopeful that some of their designs will end up on the space station," she said. "Even if they don't, they were able to sign their names on a storage locker that is going to ISS, so all of their signatures will be going to space."
WBZ NewsRadio's Kim Tunnicliffe (@KimWBZ) reports