While their peers were counting down to a summer of fun, California State University, Bakersfield students were quietly completing a historic mission: replicating the left-hand latch of the Apollo 11 command module hatch, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.
CSU Bakersfield’s Fab Lab was one of only about 40 makers and fabrication shops nationwide selected (and challenged) with participating in Project Egress, which will culminate at the National Air and Space Museum when television personality Adam Savage rebuilds the entire hatch before a live-streaming audience.
“Project Egress has been life-changing and it is great for CSUB because it brings local and national exposure to our engineering programs,” said Alfredo Arevalo, an incoming senior majoring in electrical engineering.
Savage, former co-host of Discovery Channel’s “MythBusters,” hopes to celebrate the technology used to make the first moon landing possible in a new and unique way.
Guided by detailed drawings and measurements for each component, CSUB students were tasked with fabricating and building the left-hand latch (composed of 16 pieces) while documenting their build process from start to finish. After a few versions using 3D printing to create a mold, students then worked with aluminum, using the Fab Lab’s 5-Axis CNC machine to create the pieces.
“I feel accomplished! Being able to successfully replicate something historic that went to the moon here at the Fab Lab was truly amazing,” said Bobby Hartsock, Fab Lab specialist.
The history and importance of the hatch dates to the 1967 Apollo 1 tragedy, when, during a routine countdown simulation, an electrical fire erupted inside the command module cabin and the astronauts were unable to exit through the hatch in time. Engineers were tasked with designing a new hatch that would allow the crew to open the hatch in 3 seconds and allow them egress - hence Project Egress - in under 30 seconds.
The mission began in early June. The CSUB students spent weeks building and rebuilding the intricate assembly. The pieces were to be shipped to the National Air and Space Museum on July 18, when Savage will assemble the hatch live.
CSUB Project Egress participants include:
The completed replica will be housed at the National Air and Space Museum. Tune in on July, 18 for the Project Egress Live Build event via this link: https://airandspace.si.edu/events/project-egress-build
© 2026 California State University, Bakersfield
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