PUNCH WFI LEGO® Model
Every spacecraft is a precisely-fitting collection of individual parts made by real people. The parts are organized into subsystems, each of which does a particular job to make the spacecraft work.
To help explain how the parts of our spacecraft work and fit together, we designed a LEGO® model of a PUNCH/WFI spacecraft. It is approximately 1:5 scale and over 1100 parts.
The PUNCH/WFI model includes LEGO® versions of all the major subsystems of the actual spacecraft and instrument. The door and solar array mechanisms work too: you can configure the spacecraft for launch or for operation in-flight.
We designed the model partly because tactile interaction helps learners to develop intuition about the systems they study, and partly because we love LEGO®, too.
If you want one for yourself, for your loved ones, or for a school club, you can download instructions and parts for this design from the BrickLink LEGO® hobbyist site. The instruction booklet (PDF, 170 MB) includes 15 pages of description about the model and how it works, and has annotations about each subsystem.
To build one of your own, you can visit the BrickLink link above and use the “Easy Buy” button. BrickLink will connect you to an optimized set of vendors on the international LEGO® hobbyist market, and automatically order exactly the parts you need. PUNCH doesn’t get a penny of this, and we can’t be responsible for the vendors’ actions – but we’ve had good experiences working with BrickLink. They are affiliated with the LEGO Group of companies, so they and their vendors are as legit as it gets. You’ll also need to download the instructions, using the link in the paragraph above. If you prefer, the “Download Studio File” button on the BrickLink page will pull the complete design file, which works with the free BrickLink Studio app.
You’ll also want a set of decals. They are available as an image file at the BrickLink model page, or download the PDF (320 KB). Print them on sticker stock. You can get an actual set of decals mailed to you, by contacting us (be sure to include your email address).
LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site
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