If you're looking for a manual project for the weekend, paper models are great candidates. The artist Rocky Bergen gifted us fabulous designs based on retrocomputing, but if you're interested in something closer to science and space research, there's nothing better than NASA. Its Get Involved section has dozens of models inspired by classic and modern missions, ranging from the Pioneer 10 probe to the brand-new James Webb Space Telescope.
In elementary school I was asked to do a lot of papercraft, and I must admit I hated every second. The cube, the pyramid, the tetrahedron... scissors and glue everywhere to spend Sundays in pure suffering, only to hear the teacher say "it's fine" the next day. But I also recognize that my personal experience is limited, and there are many designs out there that are truly fascinating.
The Best NASA Papercraft Models at Your Fingertips
Most of the PDF files are limited to presenting the model and basic assembly instructions, but others contain broader educational information. For example, the agency created a series of documents called "NASA's Great Observatories", which includes Hubble, Chandra, and Compton. The models are inside, but the rest definitely deserves a read.
As always, some designs are relatively basic, while others require a combination of patience, sharp tools, and a steady hand when cutting. The most popular recommendation is to start with the James Webb Space Telescope, which not only has a simple design but also has NASA teaming up with Jenny Chan of the Origami Tree channel to film its construction. The NASA Science portal has a section called Get Involved, where the agency has shared dozens of papercraft projects and a couple of 3D models.
Although some of the links return a 404 when you try to download, I think there's enough material to keep us busy for several weekends. Give it a try!
Access NASA papercraft: Click here
