How We Made Space Landers Using Plates and Straws
We built our own space landers using simple materials like paper plates, straws, tape, and cups. The goal was to create a space lander.
1. Planning the Design
We started talking about what will the space lander do when you drop it
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Stay balanced while falling
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Absorb impact when it hits the ground
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Protect the payload from damage
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Land upright if possible
2. Building the Lander
used:
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Paper plates for the main base
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Straws to create legs or shock-absorbing supports
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Tape to attach everything together
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A small cup or another object to hold the payload
The plate helped spread the force of the landing, while the straws bent or compressed to absorb the shock.
3. Testing the Lander
Once the landers were built, we tested them by dropping them from a set height. We watched carefully to see:
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Did the lander stay upright?
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Did the legs absorb the impact?
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Was the payload safe?
Sometimes the lander bounced, tipped over, or collapsed—but that was part of the learning process.
4. What Was Learned
Even with simple materials, we learned a lot about:
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Impact forces
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Balance and stability
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Engineering design
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creativity
Building space landers out of plates and straws showed us how real spacecraft must be carefully planned so they can land safely on distant planets or moons.