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Make Your Own Sputnik

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the because-you-can dept.

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.

9 of 118 comments (clear)

  1. Oops... by Hanners1979 · · Score: 4, Funny

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

  2. Choices by kevmatic · · Score: 5, Funny

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

    I say Helicopter. Cooler and Deadlier.

    1. Re:Choices by CRCulver · · Score: 4, Funny

      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!

  3. No problem by djupedal · · Score: 4, Funny

    "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.

  4. Re:Because Sergei Korolev is no big deal nowdays. by wizardforce · · Score: 4, Funny

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

    --
    Sigs are too short to say anything truly profound so read the above post instead.
  5. next article by JeanBaptiste · · Score: 3, Funny

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

  6. Re:Yay! More litter! by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 4, Funny

    DISCLAIMER:
    No, I have not thought this through.
    Have you considered a career in politics?
    --
    No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
  7. very nice! by trb · · Score: 4, Funny

    Home-made Sputnik, I Laika!

  8. You can build a spaceship from the things you find by mtaht · · Score: 3, Funny

    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!