Introduction: Build a Hubble Space Telescope

About: A father who like to hack things to kill time with his toddler, just like his father used to do with him.

I was working on some plumbing when my son run to me with his iPad. He was watching a video about space vehicle such as Space Shuttle, GPS Satellite, Soyuz Spacecraft, and many more. Among the vehicle, the one that leave a mark on him is Hubble Space Telescope. And when The Hubble pop up on the screen, I come out with an idea on how I can make a mock up of Hubble Space Telescope from the materials in front of me.

Step 1: Preparing the Material and Tools

The material required to make a mock up Hubble Space Telescope is mostly come from recycled stuff around our home

  1. PVC pipe. I use leftover 1" PVC pipe, around 10 cm long. It is the wider end part of the pipe
  2. Bamboo or wooden chopstick
  3. Black impraboard. If you don't have one, you can also use brown box that later can be painted to black

Some tools needed (not in the picture)

  1. Drill and drill bit the size of your chopstick. IN my project, I use 5.5 mm drill bit
  2. Saw
  3. Glue or adhesive tape

Step 2: Drill and Cut

With the drill, make a hole through the PVC pipe. Put the chopstick through the hole and estimate the length required so that the Hubble Solar Panel's arm will look proportional to the telescope. Cut the rest of the chopstick with saw.

Step 3: Sticking the Solar Panel

Measure and cut the impraboard to make the solar panel. Make sure that it will look proportional to the overall telescope. Stick the solar panel to the chopstick with adhesive tape or glue.

Enjoy the Hubble Space Telescope

To-do: My son notice that the antenna is missing. To make the antenna, drill a hole on top of the telescope just enough to put in a toothpick.