Discovery from 2001 (XD-1)

thingiverse

The spacecraft Discovery, a game-changer in science fiction cinema, was conceptualized by Stanley Kubrick's visionary 2001 film. The cinematic universe's approach to visualizing spaceships underwent a profound shift with the Discovery's unconventional design. Prior to its creation, nearly all movie spaceships had borrowed their aesthetic cues from aircraft, exuding sleekness and aerodynamics while assuming a gravity-driven up-and-down orientation. The Discovery boldly deviated from this convention by prioritizing functionality over form. As a vessel designed for deep space exploration, its elongated, slender shape was uniquely suited to withstand the intense forces of space travel. In contrast to conventional aircraft, which would crumple under even the slightest gravitational pull, the Discovery's design ensured that its spherical pressure hull remained safely isolated from the radioactive power plant and engine. The exterior of the Discovery is a masterclass in functional design, with its surface completely covered in panels, pipes, and other mechanical elements that starkly differentiate it from streamlined aircraft. This radical departure from traditional visual language has had a lasting impact on science fiction cinema, with film spaceships universally adopting the "greeble" aesthetic pioneered by the Discovery. I designed this model from scratch using reference images exclusively from the 2001 movie. With a scale of approximately 160:1 and an assembled length of 115 cm, this meticulously crafted replica reflects the precise attention to detail that Kubrick's film brought to the world of science fiction. The total print time required for its creation was approximately 90 hours.