Spaceship
Have you ever seen the stars, the moon, the sun? Yes, I know you have! How about fireworks, toy rockets or even a real spacecraft and how they are launched into the air? It is a fascinating sight to behold and witness. What a thrill to see a spacecraft lift off from the ground using the earth gravity to launch into space. It is the chemical reaction in the rocket that propels the launch into the air. This is the chemical procedures in chemistry working in such activity.
Spacecraft! That sounds surprising, isn’t it? You may be wondering how anyone can build a spacecraft without a team of experts to work with. Don’t worry, it isn’t a crazy idea but a chance to be a DIY inventor. It isn’t a crazy idea because you can use some recycled materials and creativity to make a spacecraft.
Building a spacecraft isn’t an arduous task. With just the purchase of simple/basic materials and tool kits from the store or from the internet can be a worthwhile and interesting venture. You don’t necessarily have to build something big or long but a small spacecraft that can function well.
Spacecraft is a machine/vehicle that has been developed and designed to fly in space. There are many artificial Spacecraft in the world that serve the purposes of meteorology, communication, observation, space colonization, navigation, exploration as well as the transportation of both human beings and goods.
There is no doubt that we are fascinated with moving objects, especially kids who love flying things. I might say otherwise that if not all, many people are fascinated with alien activities, outer space and extraterrestrial life which makes them wonder about the innovations of the spacecraft. It gives the excitement of building an object that moves with just the combination of simple electronics and basic materials that can easily be acquired.
So, how would you like to be the chief engineer who builds a spacecraft or develop the greatest satellite. Who knows, maybe you might be the first person to build a spacecraft that studies every happenings on the earth, takes pictures of the whole earth, monitors the sun or moon or makes discoveries of other things unknown to man. But, you keep asking if you can build your own spacecraft and even launch it into the space. Why don’t you give it a try?
It isn’t illegal to build your own Spacecraft but may require you to obtain a licence to fly into space or above the sea in some countries. Since you will be in charge of making your own spacecraft, have it in mind that you need some basic materials that will make your work easier.
Basic Items to Build a Spacecraft
You will need the following to be able to build a Spacecraft.
- Container
Your spacecraft needs to have a container that can serve as the space to hold all the instruments together.
- Solar panel Power Source Icon
Well, don’t you love the shiny lights on the spacecraft you might have come across. So, you need to build a power source icon for your spacecraft to have electricity or run all the high- tech gadgets embedded in it. You can use batteries or solar panels as a basic source of power supply to your spacecraft.
- Instruments
The essence of building a scientific instrument is to enable it to fly into space. The instruments in your spacecraft should be able to perform functions such as take pictures, measure chemicals, or monitor the sun and moons’ s activities. So, you must ensure that your spacecraft has that scientific touch to make it outstanding.
- A communicative device
You need to build your spacecraft to be able to communicate with you or the earth while it is on outer Space. You can use Antennas that look like poles, rods or even dishes to work this function into your spacecraft.
- Orientation Finder
Your spacecraft should be built and positioned to face a particular direction. The satellite should know the point that goes upward either as a star/sun and so on.
Materials for Building a Simple spacecraft:
What you must first envision is how you would want your finished product to look before getting started. This will be the guide to getting basic materials that will make your spacecraft project turn out well. Think of this, you can take out sections of sprinkler parts,toys, PVC & ABS pipe, plastic items, and hardware to build an original and unique spacecraft.
Also, you can look for simple tools such as; Styrene plastic sheeting, bandsaw, rotary tool, sander, drill press, utility knife, various glues, epoxy weld putty for plastic, spray paint and airbrush for painting for your Spacecraft fabrication/project.
Aluminium is another material that you can easily get around you. It is one of the important materials that you can use to build your own Spacecraft. It is the most used conventional material for all types of spacecraft in the world. The aluminum is sturdy and light and when used with titanium alloys will make the body of the spacecraft stronger. With this material, the spacecraft can launch, land and transit easily. It is one of the most important materials to build a solid structure.
You might be worried about getting rocket fuel for your spacecraft, another option for you to use is sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and acetic acid (vinegar) to form chemicals to launch your small spacecraft. What you get from the chemical formation is water and carbon dioxide that forms a little bubble to serve as the exhaust.
Finally, I will suggest that you try to read through this post as many times as it takes you to have a better understanding of how to proceed to building your own spacecraft. Also, you can check out simplified videos on the internet to help you have a clearer view of using those materials aforementioned to create your invention. Be careful and let your creative imagination be your guide to creating a spacecraft.