DIY Halloween Costume – NASA Tech Style

Editor’s Note: As of Saturday, Oct. 29, NASA and United Launch Alliance announced a delay for the JPSS-2 and LOFTID launch, and are now targeting no earlier than Wednesday, Nov. 9, for launch.

Still looking for an out-of-this world Halloween costume?  Look no further! Donning our LOFTID ensemble, you’ll come in hot to every party this Halloween.  

NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator, or LOFTID, is scheduled to launch Nov. 1, 2022, making it the perfect costume for a nerdy conversation starter. 

LOFTID will demonstrate how its inflatable aeroshell, or heat shield, can slow down and survive atmospheric entry, whether landing humans on Mars, new missions to Venus and Titan, or returning heavier payloads and samples from low-Earth orbit. The heat shield works by creating drag in the atmosphere, acting like a giant brake. But don’t worry, being a drag is the last thing you’ll have to worry about in this showstopping attire.

With a few commonly found materials, you can create your own LOFTID costume, complete with a heat shield. However, we make no promises of protecting or slowing you down from becoming the life of the party.  

Want to level-up the fun? Drop an ejectable data module (EDM) – or a lemon disguised as one – somewhere at the party and give hints about where to find it!  

Materials: 

• 12 orange pool noodle floats (more or less, depending on size of costume), must be hollow  
• Duct tape (preferably orange) or packing tape (clear)  
• 13 wooden dowels, approximately 5” long. They should fit snugly in the center hole of your pool noodles (we used 1’’ diameter dowels). Other structural reinforcements such as a plastic hula hoop that can be cut into smaller sections could substitute. Use your inner engineer to make it work! 
• Yellow ribbon  
• Scissors and/or a craft knife 
• Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks (optional) 
  

  

For heat shield (optional):  

• Black fabric 
• Scissors  

For EDM (optional):  

• Lemon (preferably large)  

Directions:

1. Shape the pool noodles to create aeroshell’s seven rings.
   1. To create the bottom most layer, the widest layer, we recommend conjoining two full pool noodles. To connect the noodles, place wooden dowels in the center opening of one noodle (one dowel on each end). The dowels should be halfway in the noodle, with the other half sticking out. Attach the second noodle to those same dowels. Use duct tape the secure the noodles together.   
   2. Form and shape subsequent rings in decreasing diameter to create a conical shape. Carefully use scissors or a craft knife to size the pool noodles as needed, decreasing length in order to create smaller circles.  
   3. Attach each layer using duct tape on the inside of the cone. 
   4. Continue until the smallest circle is just large enough to fit over shoulders, or when you have 7 rings.  
      

      

2. Using yellow ribbon, create the binding.
   1. Cut six ribbons strips long enough to loop around two of the pool noodles. Use tape or hot glue to adhere the ribbon loop inside the cone.  
   2. Cut one strip long enough to loop around the top noodle and adhere. 
      

      

3. Finish your structure.
   1. Use duct tape to provide extra structural support inside the cone.  
   2. Cut ribbon to create straps to sit on the wearer’s shoulders, like suspenders. Adhere straps using duct tape or hot glue.  
      

      

You are ready to make a splash(down). But if you want to be ready for the heat, create the optional heat shield for your LOFTID demo.  

1. (Optional) Create your heat shield cape.
   1. Lay black fabric flat. Identify space near one side of fabric for the head hole and use scissors to cute a small circle just large enough for wearer’s head.  
   2. Use scissors to remove excess or unwanted fabric, creating a cape shape that sits on the aeroshell.  
      

      

Now that you’re ready for the heat, you’ll need an ejectable data module, or EDM (not to be confused with the dance genre). This step is easy.

1. (Optional) Create your EDM.
   1. Pick up a lemon! Add a NASA sticker or draw the NASA logo (meatball or worm) on the lemon, if desired. 
      

      

And you’ve done it! Be sure to tag @NASA_Technology and #NASACostume in your pictures on social media!  

By Amanda Moon Adams