Cassini Space Probe 3D Print

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Thanks to Covid-19 I have had more time to work on projects then I normally do. One day when I was checking my email I noticed a link from my dad. This is not unusual, but this one peaked my interest. NASA had released 3D models and 3D printable STL files of some space related things (https://nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov). They have everything from Space Suit models to 3D scans of various moon landing sites to space probes. I decided to go with a 3D  printable model of the Cassini Space Probe. Once I had downloaded the Zip file and opened all of the STLs in Slic3r I looked at the print time estimate, Eleven Hours! I don’t want a print to take that long, what if it fails at the ten hour mark? So I broke up the parts in to 3 smaller print times and put it on a SD card. A couple prints later I walk in to check on the last 3D print. It failed! One of the pins designed to hold all of the pieces together in assembly had broke off the print bed and had gotten stuck on the nozzle. So three more print attempts later I have all of the parts printed. I had decided to print this probe in white PETG since most of our PLA was wet and wasn

These were all of the parts

I looked at the dish and it was covered in strings and was rough so i grabbed some sand paper and started sanding

Before

 

After

 

Now that all of the parts were printed I needed to assemble them, For this I used some plastic cement. Plastic Cement is a glue that has a bit of solvent to make the plastic bond well.

This is the plastic cement i used

 

To assemble the parts I followed the diagram conveniently provided with the STLs, It is pretty simple, put glue in the holes, put a pin in and repeat

 

This was the diagram that came with the STLs  Courtesy of  nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov

 

After drying overnight, Its done!