Back in the days of the space shuttle, then-college student Othmane Benafan remembered the windows rattling in his classroom near Kennedy Space Center on the day of a launch.
The Moroccan immigrant, who was studying engineering, was dazzled by NASA and set his sights on working for the agency.
Today, Benafan is a very busy researcher at NASA Glenn, focusing his work on the application of shape memory alloys; materials that expand and contract back to their original shape when stimulated by heat or cold.
Credits: NASA
These materials led Benafan to develop and build a very useful piece of space exploration equipment- a rock splitter, which can go to Mars and explore the rocky terrain without using forceful explosives.
Credits: NASA
The rock splitter has many potential applications beyond space including mining and underwater exploration. Benafan is another one of the many makers at NASA Glenn finding solutions through technology.
Meet the Makers
NASA has a history of advancing science and exploration because our engineers, scientists and technologists find new solutions to meet mission goals. These “makers” take a hands-on approach to move research forward by thinking outside the box. Learn about other innovators at NASA Glenn.
