More Space Station Models Ordered
NASA JSC Solicitation: International Space Station Models
“NASA/JSC is conducting market research to seek potential sources who can provide International Space Station (ISS) scale models (1/100th and 1/44 scales) with cases. Each ISS model is to be manufactured to the specifications below and must include a Custom Designed Transit Case.”
Keith’s note: What does NASA do with these models? They seem to order them every year. I have asked before but never have recieved an answer. Then again given what they spent to re-do Mike Suffredini’s conference room, who cares, right?
They give them away to the contractors, the 1/44 scale goes in the lobbies of contractor buildings, the 1/100 goes in the board rooms and CEO offices to show how well they have managed to rip the government off.
i’d like a space station model
Ditto, here! Although I kinda wish that model would be Space Station V, from “2001 a Space Odyssey” (with an iddy-biddy Orion shuttleliner coming from the central hub bay)
Can’t they use the 3D printing technology that they are buying to make these?
Interesting they would be so unspecific with regard to detail and characteristics of the models and interesting that they would identify these two scales. The two are pretty close in size. Neither is big enough to permit a lot of detail. Commercial manufacturers are out there who could sell these off the shelf for the NASA shops to assemble.
1/144 and 1/100 are popular Space Shuttle model scales.
1/144 is a common modeling scale.
1/44, which is what the procurement is looking for, is a very peculiar scale.
Hmmm, lets think about this; we have spent tens of billions of dollars on the ISS. We are hoping to continue this until 2024 and we have space agency and other government officials from 28 European Counties, Japan, Canada (and possibly Russia) that we’d like to stay with us making decisions on continuing their participation. Seems to me a few thousand $ for models to curry good will as they are considering extending their participation is both a small price to pay and money well spent. C’mon Keith – let’s not be so petty; this isn’t even worth mentioning!
Jadedobs
Oviously your thinking is the problem
Toys for the rich boys. Just a few more thousands here or there. Let Joe lunch box pay for it.
Models and such should be out there for the public to create interest as Wendy suggests. Not as prizes or trophies for the rich insiders with me footing the bill.
Add My brother in-laws father sold F-14 fighters for Grumman he had some of the coolest jet models. I wonder What they cost us?
What would be the motivation for NASA to give models to contractors? Or rich people?Thats just a cynically ignorant remark – your brother in law probably gave the models to USG officials, not the other way around!
Moreover, The F-14 stopped production over 20 years ago – hardly relevant to today’s procurement regs where you have to charge the government if your “continental” breakfast includes fruit!
As I noted, the most likely reason is to give them to internationals – entirely appropriate. Models for kids, schools, etc. sure, I’d be for that – but what science experiment do you give up in exchange?
I don’t think we’re talking about a few thousand dollars. The last time I saw the details for such a model (of an unmanned spacecraft) was about ten years ago, and for a run of a couple dozen models they cost over $5,000 each. That’s probably the case here, if not worse (note the requirement for a “Custom Designed Transit Case”,)
An ISS model would be an awesome door prize at this year’s Moon Day event in Dallas, but we’ve never been able to get JSC to participate in our event over the six years we’ve been doing it. (JSC PAO and I go round and ’round each year, always with negative results) It’s only the biggest annual space party and summer STEM event in Texas. Not support via $, but just participate with materials or a display or something. Maybe something like a door prize…
Heller, a French company that manufactures scale models, does a nice depiction of ISS in 1/125th scale:
http://www.squadron.com/1-1…
Where can I get one that is affordable for a high school student?
Free!:
http://www.csiro.au/iss
Wendy
When I was a kid during the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs Aurora model kits were available for kids and hobbyists. I’m sure Aurora made good money on those kits. After making my Gemini capsule, it took many many flights around my room. I also had a NASA astronaut in jet pack. Revell offers a model of ISS
Looking at Gemini with its service module I couldn’t help noticing how similar Dragon V2 and trunk look to Gemini.
Maybe Spacex will make kids dream of Space again and they will build Dragon V2 Models and MCT(Mars colonial transport vehicles)
Has Spacex made any deals with plastic model companies like Aurora???
Wendy look at this link and imagine that you are 12 or 13 and throughout your life you have seen nothing but progress to the promise of landing us on the moon and a near future of us becoming at multi planet Species. Maybe that explains the disappointment many of us have with public Space and the hope that Mr. Musk can reignite the fire.
http://www.google.com/searc…
as far as i know, SpaceX only offers this:
http://shop.spacex.com/feat…
but it is awesome. reasonably detailed and looks fantastic. also very easy to build.
Doug
Some one needs to build a flying model of F9R with landing legs. It should have 8 cartridge Estes engines to lift it off and landing legs should be sprung open by cartridge back charge. And it needs a system to fire center engine just before it hits the ground. Batteries igniters and timer or air pressure sensor.
Rocket core should be about 5 inch diameter
Tell me when you have one flying 🙂 I want soft landing video
Add
use GPS from on board smart phone to trigger landing engine at right attitude. Smart phone can have camera lenses stick out of side of rocket to record flight same as Spacex does. To preset launch altitude and turn on video camera you call the on board cell before launch. Use WiFi hot spot, blue tooth or head phone jacks to turn on igniter switch to fire landing engine.
This site has very detailed kits of every individual ISS element:
http://www.axmpaperspacesca…
Here is a 1/40 ISS, 8 feet across:
http://www.pe2tr.nl/index2.htm
There was an even better much more detailed model from ESA but it does not seem to be available any longer.
Revell and InterMountain Railways both make 1/144 models. If they are not currently in production you might have to check EBAY. They’ve been available for years. Both are slightly out of date but the easy fix is to delete the unnecessary pieces. The InterMountain kit was designed at JSC. There are also several highly detailed paper scale models available for download from the internet.
I’m in agreement with JadedObs that models can be educational and useful, though my experience has been more like MoonDay’s; I have rarely seen an ISS model or for that matter virtually any ISS posters or written materials at the variety of conferences and programs I frequently attend.
These models make their rounds at airshows and school appearances. I bet they get pretty dinged up after about a year or so. I’d love to have one after NASA is done with it!
NASA is building new ISS _modules_? Yes, that’s what we need!.
What, they’re just new ISS _models_? …. Never mind.