Grandfather builds a replica Space X Dragon module for aspiring astronaut grandson

[Sept 17, 2021: The Brighter Side of News]

After building an amazing replica of a Space X module for his grandson, Southampton grandfather, lovingly refered to as 'Grandpa Patrick' has been hailed for building the perfect gift to fuel his grandson's dreams of becoming an astronaut one day.

A video posted online shows the white 'NASA' shuttle emitting steam as its 'thrusters' are activated and a mini radar dish can be seen rotating atop the shuttle.

Emblazed with an American flag and 'United States' on the outside, the module hosts a sophisticated panel of buttons operating everything from the radar, thrusters and steam to the main engine.

With working doors and an LED escape hatch, the amazing shuttle replica is equipped with two cushioned seats big enough for a growing astronaut.

"My nephew's grandfather knows that my nephew loves space and wants to be an astronaut." said the video's poster. "He built this in his shed as a one off project and none of us knew about it until it "landed". "I've seen pictures of it under construction next to half built cars and other things." "It was a labour of love project for his grandkids - he even made them flight suits and helmets."

Many features are not on the video such as speakers that play NASA flight recordings with various button presses, the door operates and it can even be put up on special "lander legs".

The creation has been praised online as 'childhood defining', with one Reddit user saying: "Grandfather of the Year award right there". "A lot of love and dedication went into that project."

Another said: "That is absolutely incredible that he built this. I can't imagine the time and effort that went into this."

'Those kids are incredibly lucky to have such an awesome grandpa.'

Bearing a striking resemblance to the SpaceX dragon module, one craftsperson simply could not believe the level of detail in the device. They wrote: "Seriously, I build and prototype things for a living and the complexity and craftsmanship of this play-module awes and terrifies me". "I keep rewatching it…The hinge on that hatch, the running lights everywhere, the handles, switches, and LED panels, the vinyl seat cushions!"

Another professional creator said they would 'easily charge $100,000' to build something similar. "I've worked on some professional projects that involved custom fabrication for things like this. If a client hired us to design and build this kind of thing, we'd easily charge $100K to get it done", he said.

"Not just cutting up all the boards and running the wires, but just thinking up all the details, researching real components on a NASA module and all the fine detail and finish. That's a lot of hours and a lot of different kinds of expertise."

Another agreed, adding: "I was a fabricator and mechanic in a past life and this is incredible. The amount of detail and custom work that grandpa put into this would cost easily tens of thousands of dollars at a pro shop."

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Tags: #Global_Good_News, #SpaceX, #Grandfather, #Gift, #Generosity, #Astronaut, #Children, #The_Brighter_Side_of_News