Along the road to perfecting the CATSA Lander Mark1, there were many prototypes and even more component revisions made. The entire process was a labor of love that took place over a six-month period. We wanted to be sure the final feline escape pod would live up to the relentless expectations of our Catsanaut test pilots. There was after all serious napping to be done.
The first Lander prototype started out with a shiny-fancy-silver-foil-clad cardboard shell, but it became apparent that the surface would scuff easily and moisture of the feline projectile variety caused the cardboard to get icky quickly.
The soggy-sad-foil-clad cardboard got a serious upgrade when we adopted a CNC milled composite aluminum shell. We selected our final faceted pattern to maximize the strength of the shell and give it a fly sci-fi shimmer.
Our Lady of Leisure inspects the faceted pattern under the glow of a prototype Aurora Canopy. (Note: The Aurora Canopy is still a classified project and does not come standard issue on the Mark1, but please do stay tuned for future updates because it will be crazy amazing.)
A milling pattern candidate for final production lies ready after a thorough cleaning. This subtly updated design smooths out most of the pointy thingies on the interior facets, which was liked much better all around.
3D printed door frames take shape, one very thin layer of ABS plastic at a time. The unique shape of the entryway meant that this part was not easy to dial in, but the end result snaps in place with a satisfying click.
After printing, every door frame was snapped into a holding jig for a final sanding pass. The secret truth of 3D printed parts is that they usually require human clean up to make them look great. We will definitely be exploring injection molding for the next generation.
Industrial lasers are amazing tools when they cooperate and we certainly love putting them to the test. Here we are etching some samples of the Mission Logo badges that will adorn the front of each Mark1.
More lasers with even more power! The splice plates for the lander shell are laser cut from aluminum sheets then brushed to remove burrs and give them a cool finish.
Still more lasering. All the top faux fur and bottom fabric panels for the comfy Mark1 beds were cut with a laser to help keep things crisp and consistent for sewing. Also, nobody really wanted to cut 108 furry circles by hand either.
The feet, legs and Lander lids are CNC milled and then hand routed to smooth over any sharp edges. The team tested many materials, but HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) was selected for its resistance to moisture, durability and the fact that it can be recycled.
The support carriage for the Lander rests on rubber isolation claws that give the entire assembly a pleasant springy-but-stable feel to it.
A Lander prototype poses for a photo in front of a giant custom LED clock at the Iontank studio. Yes, the clock will be for sale too, just not quite yet. Stay tuned though!
The CATSA development team combed vacant lots and back alleys for years to assemble our own daredevil Catsanaut test crew. These incredibly rambunctious and opinionated test subjects are tasked with pushing prototype designs to their limits and destroying them in fabulously creative ways. Inimitable and entirely untrainable, Catsanauts are never shy about letting us know what works, and what kinda just sucks. They do not understand the meaning of the word “NO” and are fearless in pursuit of progress. After all, there is serious napping to be done.
