Make Your Own Sputnik

An anonymous reader writes "What better way of celebrating the 50th anniversary of Sputnik than by making one of your own. The BBC says that you can build your own Sputnik satellite from stuff lying around the house. The BBC quotes an electronics hobbyist: "Technology now is way ahead of what was available in 1957, and making your own fully functional Sputnik would now be very simple indeed. I wouldn't be surprised if you could build one in a container smaller than a matchbox, weighing about as much as a wristwatch. The components, including a transmitter, battery and the sensors you'd need would probably cost less than 50 pounds [about 100 US dollars]. It really shouldn't be a problem to build and program the whole thing in under a day." Unfortunately, the BBC article doesn't go into technical details." And of course, actually getting it up into orbit might take a little more work.

Comments

Oops...

[Hanners1979]

I misread the word 'Sputnik' and sat here thinking "But I already do that every night"...

Choices

[kevmatic]

So, do I make my own Helicopter or my own Sputnik? Hmm...

I say Helicopter. Cooler and Deadlier.

Re:Choices

[Anonymous Coward]

Sputnikopter!

Now you don't have to decide!

Re:Choices

[CRCulver]

I say Helicopter. Cooler and Deadlier.

I'd go with the sputnik. If you can get something into orbit, you can rain atomic destruction onto any spot on Earth, unless the leaders of the world pay you ONE MILLION DOLLARS!

Re:Choices

[Jugalator]

Seriously, I almost wish that we one day have some madman to try pull such an extortion off with some spacecraft.

Maybe I should be careful what I wish for, but come on, crimes need to be made funnier!

Re:Choices

[Kamineko]

Why restrict yourself to just one?

Make a sputnicopter.

No problem

[djupedal]

"And of course, actually getting it up into orbit might take a little more work. "

I know a guy that makes home-made helos' that has the first 7 feet covered - after that...two words: space elevator.

Re:No problem

[tverbeek]

And in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the first Sputniks, the BBC will post instructions for how you can build your own Sputnik 2 at home... including the dog.

oblig.

[Rob T Firefly]

This reminds me of the heady days of Sputnik and Yuri Gegarin...

Pee Wee

[Frosty Piss]

You could even build one yourself, as Paul Rubens explains below.

Looks like Pee Wee finally found a new gig, after that sex scandle and all...

Re:Because Sergei Korolev is no big deal nowdays.

[wizardforce]

I don't know, the man was aiming for the moon and hit london after all

next article

[JeanBaptiste]

Make your own Internet! You will need 100 feet of twine, 4 dixie cups, and some duct tape.

Re:Yay! More litter!

[$RANDOMLUSER]

DISCLAIMER:
No, I have not thought this through.

Have you considered a career in politics?

very nice!

[trb]

Home-made Sputnik, I Laika!

sputnik? no. Launcher? hell yeah.

[apodyopsis]

make your own DIY sputnik? Maybe.....

but I'd rather make my own DIY "rocket that launched it". Now thats got all the ingredients that makes any self respecting geeks eyes light up!!

You can build a spaceship from the things you find

[mtaht]

The filk song "You can build a spaceship from the things you find at home" comes to mind.

http://www.khaosworks.org/filk/spaceship.html

Now next on my agenda was to find a rocket drive
Strong enough to launch the ship and still keep me alive
I found the right propellant when I scouted out the bars
Six kegs of Old Peculier that will shoot me to the shtars! *hic*

(chorus) Lockheed, Bell and Boeing, MDC and Grumman too
            Pratt and Whitney, BAE, they'll keep it all from you
            They make big bucks off NASA so they never want it known
            That you can build a spaceship from the things you find at home!