How to Make a Tinkercad Space Shuttle and 3D Print It!

Hello! In this instructable, I will be teaching you how to 3D model (and 3D print if you have a 3D printer) a space shuttle model! Let's get started!

Access to a 3D printer with fillament color of your choice

A computer with a free Tinkercad account

Spare time

Hi! This is a quick minitutorial on how to use tinkercad! Remember, This is OPTIONAL , so you don't have to do this. I would recommend doing this if it's your first time using tinkercad. Let's get started!

When you click on a shape, you can stretch or enlarge your shape to many different sizes. You can rotate it with the arrows postitioned in a semicircle when you click it .

To get different shapes, use the shapes library when you click the "basic shapes" row

Scrolling down will give you more options

To put something somewhere, drag it to where ever you want

To raise something to a certain height, use the cone icon on top and drag it to your desired height

To color something, click the solid option and then you can color something

To export the model, click export and then you can export as .obj,.stl, and .glb for 3D printing.

If you want to see an example, go to this link and see my space shuttle in whole , copy/paste this link

https://www.tinkercad.com/things/5HCy9XnulHb-tinkercad-official-space-shuttle-launch

Make the base by pulling out a cube and making it the height and length that you want. Then, pull out a roof ( you can find this by hovering over a shape until you find the right one) and rotate it and color them both in your desired color

Pull out a landing pad for the shuttle to sit on and pull out whatever you like for details. Pipes, fuel cells, control rooms, You are the designer of this one!

Using cylinders, paraboloids, cones, and spheres, make the space shuttle. If you need reference, the side boosters are made of cones and cylinders, the fuel area( the orange area ) is made of paraboloids and cylinders. The space shuttle is made of cylinders, roofs and spheres ( the sphere is partially hidden for the cockpit) . You can add logos such as NASA and SpaceX onto it if you would like to customize. You can copy and tinker my model if you want inspiration. Use online images if you want an accurate reference. BE SURE TO CONSTRUCT THE SPACE SHUTTLE AWAY FROM THE BASE . IT WILL BE HARDER IF YOU CONSTRUCT ON THE BASE . When you're done, group it all together and put it on the launch pad. Then, pull it up if you want it to have smoke. If you don't want smoke, leave it be and skip to step 6.

Drag out a ton of spheres and postition them to look like smoke coming out of the boosters . You can do as much as you like or as little as you like.

Load your model onto your 3D printer and print it out. I used a Makergear M2 printer with blue PLA fillament but you can use any color you like on any 3D printer . Your finished product should look something like the image shown . I hope that you liked my project ! Happy printing! :)