LightSail Spacecraft Model, 1:10 scale

thingiverse

Make a precise scale model of The Planetary Society's LightSail, drawn to one tenth its actual size. Almost any hobby printer should be able to print the spacecraft part of the model with ease. The sail portion might be found at a craft store, while the sail spars can be sourced from a hardware or hobby store. This model is designed based on available photos and videos posted by The Planetary Society. I created this 18 months ago but hadn't had time to paint it until a month before LightSail 2's launch. I didn't design in the CD found on LightSail 2, as that information wasn't available when I drew it. Some details aren't entirely accurate, but I figured they wouldn't come out well with a fused filament (FFF/FDM) style print. The printed model would stand about 60mm tall if printed at 100% scale to the original file. I've included a STEP file and my original Alibre CAD file in case anyone wants to refine any of the details using their favorite CAD program. I'll work on adding the sail once I find a suitable material. I had a sheet of silvered mylar perfectly sized for this model, but unfortunately, it's now lost. For more information on how to install the sail after printing, see the post-printing section.