Vanguard 1 Satellite

thingiverse

Human was meant to be the US's first artificial satellite, but it failed in that goal and ended up as runner-up instead. The Vanguard 1 satellite model seen here is based on the open-source CAD design platform OpenSCAD. This design fell short of accuracy due to the unavailability of precise measurement data for this particular object, making the final product only a rough estimate of its true size. This lack of information is largely because it was obtained mostly through web searches, which were comprised mainly of photographs rather than direct measurements. During construction, a fascinating and somewhat geeky observation came to light about Vanguard 1: its solar modules are not arranged consistently across the entire structure. To accommodate this discrepancy, designers had initially mounted the satellite launch vehicle using a metal strap. By doing so, some of the solar modules were turned at an angle for easier mounting. Several photos depicting original models and mock-ups show that these rotated panels often went unnoticed.