This Saturn V Launchpad Model Is One Giant Leap for Makers
Mark Howe’s diorama uses an Arduino and steppers to move the crane, sway bar, crew walkway, gantry and service arms, and the model itself.
While many have assembled model rockets of one form or another, few compare to the scope of – or the work required to build – Mark Howe’s Saturn V launch diorama. The rocket itself is a LEGO Saturn V model, with a custom 3D-printed supporting structure that stands several feet tall.
When the rocket's takeoff sequence is initiated with a button on the control panel, audio of the Apollo 11 countdown is played using an MP3 audio shield. Various supporting arms and crew walkway are simulataneously moved out of the way by five MG928B servo motors, freeing the rocket to take off. The Saturn V then rises several inches off the pad, on a plume of NeoPixel-simulated flames. A trio of concealed NEMA 17 stepper motors and linear actuators physically push it “skyward.”
Overall control of the rocket is via an Arduino Uno, which sits in a nicely made oak base, along with various other electronics. The project took Howe 18 months to complete, including a staggering 1,000 estimated hours of CAD time, hundreds of hours of printing, and the necessary programming and electronics work. You can see this amazing build demonstrated in the video below, and more details can be found in Howe's write-up.