The University of Illinois has announced the kickoff of its Mission Illinois project.
The goal of the project is to develop a new construction device for the International Space Station that's capable of curing materials in zero gravity, said project lead Sameh Tawfick.
The new device will help people in space build large structures like telescopes and radio antennas, said Tawfick.
"Realizing such structures will enable the next stage in humanity's space utilization and future beyond our imagination," said Tawfick.
The team will have 18 months to complete the project, with the last six months having the device sent to the ISS for testing, said officials.