Skip to main content
  • Main menu
Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation
  • Home
  • Try
    • Explore
    • Study
    • About
    • Multimedia
  • DO Try This at Home!
    • Spark!Lab
    • Spark!Lab Network
    • Encouraging Innovative Thinking
  • Design a Spacecraft
Composite of computer-generated and physical spacecraft designs

Design a spacecraft with Spark!Lab, Instructables, and Tinkercad!

Design a Spacecraft

December 8, 2020 by Lemelson Center

Design a spacecraft with virtual materials—or create your own parts and pieces.

Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Print

Welcome to Spark!Lab digital. This is an online invention space where you get to be the inventor. There are no wrong answers. Think like an inventor: how does your design solve a problem?

Using Tinkercad, you can delete, reshape, duplicate, and create new parts.

  1. Supplies

    Free Tinkercad account 

    Your inventive creativity!

    "Design a Spacecraft" parts from the Tinkercad website

  2. INVENTION IS A PROCESS

    There are just two things to keep in mind as you design a spacecraft:

    1. The invention process is not always linear, but inventors engage in these steps in some form or another: 

    Think it: Have a great idea for an invention

    Explore it: Investigate inventions and ideas of the past

    Sketch it: Draw pictures and diagrams to figure out how your invention might work

    Create it: Build a prototype or model of your idea

    Try it: Test your invention

    Tweak it: Keep improving your idea

    Sell it: Market your invention to people who might buy it

    2. We also know everyone is inventive—and we do mean everyone! Today, you become the inventor. You will try new ideas, take risks, and learn how to keep going when things don’t go as planned.

  3. Now head over to Instructables to start inventing with Tinkercad!

Tags

  • Spark!Lab (Relevance: 33%)
  • Kid-friendly (Relevance: 20%)

Related Stories

An array of craft materials
DO Try This at Home!

At-Home Inventors

Lots of inventors worked from home – what will you invent?

Now What? game graphic
DO Try This at Home!

Spark!Lab's Now What? Invention Game

Unexpected problems often call for inventive solutions.

A young girl works on the Invent a Skate Park activity
DO Try This at Home!

Spark!Lab Activities

You can explore the history and process of invention through Draper Spark!Lab activities at home, too!

VIEW 2727 Matching Results

Found 2727 Stories

  • Agriculture and horticulture (Relevance: 5.2071873854052%)
  • Air and space (Relevance: 6.7473414008067%)
  • Archives@NMAH (Relevance: 8.4341767510084%)
  • Chemistry (Relevance: 3.0803080308031%)
  • Food and drink (Relevance: 3.3003300330033%)
  • Industry and manufacturing (Relevance: 7.5540887422076%)
  • Medicine, health, and life sciences (Relevance: 4.5837917125046%)
  • Military technology (Relevance: 3.3370003667033%)
  • Mining and drilling (Relevance: 3.4103410341034%)
  • Patents and trademarks (Relevance: 11.367803447011%)
  • Photography, film, television, and video (Relevance: 3.8503850385039%)
  • Power generation, motors, and engines (Relevance: 3.4470113678034%)
  • Spark!Lab (Relevance: 3.5203520352035%)
  • Textiles and clothing (Relevance: 3.3736707004034%)
  • Transportation (Relevance: 5.977264393106%)
  • Women inventors (Relevance: 3.3003300330033%)
❯
Go to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History website

About Menu

▼
Open menu
▲
Close menu
  • Explore
    • Blog
    • Invention Stories
    • Places of Invention
    • Beyond Words
  • Study
    • Research Opportunities
    • Archives
    • Lemelson Center Books
    • Lemelson Center Research
    • Symposia & Conferences
  • Try
    • DO Try This at Home!
    • Spark!Lab
    • Spark!Lab Network
    • Encouraging Innovative Thinking
  • About
    • Events
    • Exhibitions
    • News
    • Who We Are
    • FAQ
    • Donate
  • Multimedia
  • Tags
  • Surprise Me
  • Search
  • Open Drawer
Copyright 2023, Smithsonian Institution, All Rights Reserved
  • DONATE
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Print