In this activity, students make a physical model of the satellite1 shown in the Build a satellite interactive. Making a physical model will help students to see how parts of the satellite relate to each other and how those parts interact. Students will also consider why particular parts of the satellite are needed.
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
- construct a simple model satellite made from light card using a template pattern
- explain why a satellite needs solar panels, an aerial and an outer casing for heat2 control3.
This activity is ideally done during or after the Build a satellite for a mission activity, which includes the Build a satellite interactive.
Download the Word file (see link below).
Download the Satellite template PDF file (see link below)
Nature of science and technology
Construction of a physical scale model shows how parts of the satellite relate to one another.
Related content
MethaneSAT is Aotearoa4 New Zealand’s first government-funded space mission.
Find out about different types in the article Artificial satellites.
Building satellites for Earth observation lists some of the common components that satellites carry.
What will you do with the satellite you’ve just built? Take your learning to a whole new level. The Science Learning Hub team has curated a collection of resources to support students to design a satellite mission to help fight climate change. Use the resources for background information, content vocabulary and inspiration to give your satellite a purpose-built mission to create science-based solutions.
Activity ideas
Build a satellite and then analyse data5 regarding dark vessels, albatross populations and slow slip Earth movements.
Get your students to turn their eyes to the night sky to observe natural satellites and spot artificial satellites – like the ISS – as they pass overhead. Back indoors, students can hunt for satellites online with a webquest.
Students can use other models to explore space-related ideas:
- Micro:bit and space projects challenges students to create a space-related project and use a micro:bit to gather data.
- Make a model CubeSat and micro:bit sun sensor involves a 3D build. Extend it to include simple programming and electronics6.
- Scale model for satellite orbits explores satellite altitudes and satellite motion.
- Investigating satellite dishes uses an umbrella as a curved reflector to increase a cellphone’s Wi-Fi signal.
Useful links
The following websites provide templates for making paper models of real satellites. These templates range in difficulty from simple to very intricate models.
- ESA Science & Technology – cut-out & build (European Space Agency satellites)
- Universe Spacecraft Paper Models (NASA spacecraft including satellites)
- Spacecrafts (Zach’s Papersat Designs)
Acknowledgement
This resource has been produced with funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the support of the New Zealand Space Agency.
The templates used in this activity were designed by Denis Burchill. Visit Denis Burchill’s resource pages for more activity ideas.
- satellite: Any object that orbits around another object.
- heat energy (heat): Heat energy: the transfer of energy in materials from the random movement of the particles in that material. The greater the random movement of particles the more heat energy the material has. Temperature is a measure of the heat energy of a material.
Heat: the flow of energy from a warm object to a cooler object. - control: 1. Part of a scientific experiment in which no treatment has been applied in order to see whether there are any detectable differences to the experiment that did receive a treatment. 2. To hold in check or to curb.
- Aotearoa: The Māori name for New Zealand, meaning Land of the Long White Cloud.
- data: The unprocessed information we analyse to gain knowledge.
- electronics: 1. The study of the behaviour and control of electrons. This field has expanded enormously with the discovery of semiconductors. 2. The generic term for hardware used to build electrical components.
