Our work / Multi-tool

Apollo 11 Commemorative Multi-tool – Industrial Design, Product Prototype

Written by Ralph Hill, Mechanical & electrical systems, 3D manufacturing

Prototyping Engineer

Published August 10, 2026

Advanced Designs Inc. wanted a commemorative multi-tool for the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 that worked as a daily tool, not just a souvenir. We based the industrial design on the Saturn V spacecraft and Command Module Columbia, integrated a Fisher Space Pen cartridge, LED flashlight, and interchangeable tools, and iterated functional 3D printed prototypes until the design was ready for mass production.

Project at a glance

Client: Advanced Designs Inc. (ADI)
Industry: Consumer tools and collectibles
Starting point: An idea for a souvenir marking the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11
What we delivered: Concept exploration, industrial design referencing the Command Module and Saturn V, functional 3D-printed prototypes, production-ready design
Integrated features: Fisher Space Pen cartridge, LED flashlight, interchangeable watch-band tool, three rubber grips
Outcome: Design met every customer criterion and stayed under the manufacturing cost target

The client

ADVANCED DESIGNS INC. (ADI) approached us when they came up with an idea of a commemorative souvenir for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission.

The company wanted to design an item in celebration of the first men on the moon. ADI team envisioned something that didn’t just reference Apollo 11 spaceship’s features but also had a set of functions that would make the multi-tool useful for certain applications.

Multi-tool body referencing the Command Module form

The challenge

Tip detail with the three rubber grip rings

A commemorative piece and an everyday carry tool pull in opposite directions: one is bought to be looked at, the other has to feel right in the hand after the novelty wears off. The multi-tool had to do both — read as an Apollo 11 keepsake on a shelf and still be a pen someone reaches for.

Several tools had to fit inside a pen-sized body, and the whole thing had to be manufacturable under a unit cost the client had already fixed — which ruled out most of the machining-heavy directions a metal multi-tool usually takes.

Our solution

During the discovery stage our industrial designers experimented with different shapes and features, and after a few concepts, decided to use Apollo 11 Saturn V spacecraft as a basis for the design of the multi-tool. In particular, they referenced some features of the Command Module “Columbia” and the propulsion system of the Apollo 11.

Per the customer's requirements we built the tool around a Fisher Space Pen cartridge, which writes in any orientation, underwater and in zero gravity — the obvious cartridge for an Apollo piece. An LED flashlight and an interchangeable watch-band tool (swappable for a screwdriver) went into the same body, and three rubber grips were added at the tip so the metal housing stays comfortable in use.

We built functional prototypes across several 3D printing processes, since the grips, the tool bay and the pen mechanism each wanted a different material to test properly. A few design-prototype rounds later the design was locked for production.

The result

The design met every criterion ADI set at kickoff, and the functional prototypes let their marketing team demonstrate the tool to partners and buyers months before tooling existed.

Designing the housing for injection moulding from the start brought the unit cost in below the client's ceiling.

LED flashlight end of the Apollo 11 multi-tool

Interchangeable watch-band tool fitted to the pen

Multi-tool industrial design at a glance

Client	Advanced Designs Inc. (ADI)
Scope	Industrial design, mechanical engineering, functional prototyping
Product	Apollo 11 50th anniversary commemorative multi-tool
Deliverables	Concepts, CAD, functional prototype, presentation renderings

The problem: a souvenir that has to actually work

Commemorative products usually cheat - they look the part and do nothing. ADI wanted a keepsake worth displaying that still functioned as a multi-tool, which means real detents, real material strength and a mechanism that survives being opened thousands of times, inside a shape carrying deliberate visual references to the mission.

What we designed

Industrial design set the silhouette and finish; mechanical engineering made the tools deploy, hold and stow safely. The functional prototype let ADI evaluate weight, feel and action in the hand - the properties that decide whether a collectible feels premium.

Frequently asked questions

What is a functional prototype?

A prototype built to work, not just to look right - correct materials and mechanisms so behaviour can be tested before tooling.

Can you design a product around a brand or a commemorative theme?

Yes. Industrial design carries the story; engineering keeps it manufacturable.

Capabilities used on this project

Rapid prototyping services
3D printing, CNC machining, urethane casting and functional prototype builds with published materials, tolerances and lead times.
Concept design
Sketch exploration, form studies and CAD concepts that turn an idea into a buildable direction.

How the Apollo 11 multi-tool balanced souvenir and tool

Concept exploration from spacecraft references
During discovery our industrial designers experimented with shapes and features, then anchored the design on the Apollo 11 Saturn V spacecraft, referencing the Command Module Columbia and the propulsion system. The brief demanded a product that looks like a gift but works daily without sacrificing function or comfort.
Function integration: pen, light, and tools
Per the client's requirements we integrated a Fisher Space Pen cartridge that writes in all directions, under water, and in space, plus an LED flashlight and a watch-band tool replaceable with a screwdriver. Three rubber grips at the pen tip improved tactility.
Prototype iterations to production-ready design
We built functional prototypes on several different 3D printers and ran design-prototype iterations until the multi-tool was finalized and prepared for mass production. ADI's marketing team used the prototypes to test the product and demonstrate it to partners and potential customers.

Commemorative product vs. practical tool — the design trade-offs

Decision	Pure souvenir	Pure tool	Apollo 11 multi-tool
Form	Display piece	Utilitarian	Saturn V-inspired, pocketable
Functions	None	Maximum	Space Pen, LED, interchangeable tools
Grip and feel	Ornamental	Ergonomic only	Rubber grips, gift-grade finish
Prototyping	One cosmetic model	Bench mule	Iterated functional 3D prints

Questions about this project

Straight answers from the engineers who ran the build. Have a different question? Ask us directly.

Talk to an engineer

How do you design a commemorative product that is also useful?

Treat both requirements as hard constraints from day one. For the Apollo 11 multi-tool we took styling cues from the Saturn V and Command Module while engineering in a Fisher Space Pen, LED flashlight, and replaceable tools — then validated both sides with functional prototypes.

What is involved in multi-tool industrial design?

Concept exploration, mechanism and layout decisions for each function, ergonomics, and iterated prototyping. This project ran several design-prototype loops across different 3D printers before the design was released for mass production.

Can prototypes be used for marketing before production?

Yes — ADI's marketing team used our functional prototypes to test the multi-tool and demonstrate it to partners and potential customers well before mass production.

How long does a project like this take?

A handheld product of this complexity typically runs 8–14 weeks from discovery through a production-ready design, depending on how many prototype iterations the mechanisms require.

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Project at a glance

Multi-tool industrial design at a glance

The problem: a souvenir that has to actually work

What we designed

Frequently asked questions

What is a functional prototype?

Can you design a product around a brand or a commemorative theme?

Capabilities used on this project

Rapid prototyping services

Concept design

How the Apollo 11 multi-tool balanced souvenir and tool

Concept exploration from spacecraft references

Function integration: pen, light, and tools

Prototype iterations to production-ready design

Questions about this project

Zippy Sponge Scrubber

The Original Flip Flap: Design for Manufacturability

JJ's Boot Jack: Product Design, DFM and Marketing

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