YOU CAN BUILD A MODEL OF THE SPACE STATION THAT MOVES WITH THE REAL ONE OVERHEAD
A desk model of the International Space Station that mirrors the real station's solar arrays and radiators in near real-time from NASA's public telemetry feed.
DisplaysOpen-hardware
- difficulty
- ●●●●○
- time
- a weekend-plus
- license
- MIT
- repo
- repo ACTIVE488 stars
●●●●○ · a weekend-plus · MIT · 488 stars · repo ACTIVE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- 3D printer + filament — printable parts — files are in the repo
- Electronic parts — full list with part numbers in the repo BOM
- Dev board / microcontroller — runs the project firmware
Partner
COMPAREE VERDICT
ISS Mimic is a 3D printed International Space Station model driven by twelve servo motors that follow live telemetry from NASA's public Lightstreamer feed. When the real station rotates a solar array to track the sun, the model rotates the same array to match within seconds. The kinematics follow the actual alpha and beta gimbal joint angles. The work is deliberately split: a Raspberry Pi handles the telemetry and web dashboards, an Arduino Mega drives the motors. The repository publishes printable STL files in low and high fidelity versions, three size options (including an Edu Mimic aimed at classrooms), a complete BOM, wiring diagrams and build instructions. The dashboards are described by the team as more capable than the original NASA ISSLive website they evolved from. The project has been built at community library sessions, shown at Maker Faire and Comicpalooza, and used by teachers and museums. The thing most likely to go wrong is the servo calibration: twelve motors means twelve calibration steps, and if the physical build is not square the kinematics will bind. This is a project for someone who wants to connect people to the station overhead and is willing to spend the time on mechanical tuning. If you want a display that just works out of the box, this is not it.
IN THE REPO
NOT IN THE REPO
- —STL files published in low and high detail versions, three size variants (full Mimic, Mini, Edu).
- —Complete BOM and wiring diagrams in the repository.
- —Arduino firmware and Python telemetry client both present.
- —Build guide covers assembly, electronics and software setup.
- —MIT licence permits commercial use.
- —No PCB Gerbers — the electronics use off-the-shelf breakout boards and point-to-point wiring, not a custom board.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
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Gallery
Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Read the README and decide which size variant you want (full, Mini or Edu). (The full model is impressive but takes days to print in high detail; the Edu version is faster and classroom-tested.)
- 2.Download the STL files and start printing the structural parts first. (Print the base and servo mounts before the decorative parts so you can test fit and calibrate while the rest prints.)
- 3.Order the BOM — the repository lists every component with links. (SG90 servos are cheap but less durable; MG90S metal-gear servos cost more and last longer under continuous use.)
- 4.Flash the Arduino firmware and test one servo before wiring all twelve. (A single servo test will catch wiring or power supply problems before you solder everything.)
- 5.Install the Raspberry Pi telemetry client and dashboards. (The dashboards are more capable than NASA's ISSLive site, according to the team. You can run the software without the hardware to see the data first.)
- 6.Calibrate the servos one joint at a time, checking the kinematics do not bind. (This is the slow part. If the frame is not square, the servos will fight each other and stall.)
Resources
Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.
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KNOWN ISSUES
- The build assumes your 3D prints are dimensionally accurate and square. If the frame is warped or the servo mounts are not aligned, the twelve motors will fight each other and bind instead of moving smoothly. Print a test bracket first.
- Servo calibration is methodical and slow. Twelve motors means twelve calibration steps, and if you rush it the model will not track correctly. Budget several hours for this even if the build itself goes smoothly.
- The repository does not specify print orientation or support requirements for every part. Some users have reported needing to re-slice the high detail solar arrays with custom supports to avoid warping.
- The power supply must deliver enough current for twelve servos under load. A 5V 3A supply is the minimum; 5A is safer if all servos move simultaneously. An undersized supply will cause brownouts and servo jitter.
- The telemetry feed is NASA's public Lightstreamer stream, which occasionally goes offline during ISS communication blackouts or maintenance. The model will freeze until the feed returns; this is not a fault in the build.
- The dashboards require a Raspberry Pi 3 or 4 with at least 2GB RAM. A Pi Zero will run the telemetry client but the web interface will be unusably slow.
Does this require a NASA API key or special permission?
No. The telemetry comes from NASA's public Lightstreamer feed, which is open to anyone. No API key, no account, no restrictions.
How accurate is the motion compared to the real station?
The servos follow the same alpha and beta gimbal joint angles the real station uses, updated every few seconds from the live feed. The lag is network-dependent but typically under 10 seconds. The model mirrors the station; it does not predict future positions.
Can I build this without a Raspberry Pi?
The Arduino can drive the motors on its own, but you will lose the telemetry client and the dashboards. You could substitute any device that can run Python and talk to the Lightstreamer feed, but the Pi is what the software is written for.
Which size should I build?
The full Mimic is the most impressive but takes days to print in high detail. The Mini is faster and still captures the motion. The Edu Mimic is designed for classrooms and has been built at library sessions with novice builders; if this is your first multi-servo project, start there.
What fails first on these builds?
Servo calibration problems if the frame is not square, and power supply brownouts if the 5V rail is undersized. Both are fixable but both will waste a Saturday if you do not test incrementally.
Community builds
No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.
Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
Twelve servos tracking live gimbal angles from a station 400 km overhead — and the whole feed is public, no API key required. Which variant would you build first: the full model, the Mini, or the classroom Edu version?
ISS Mimic team
The ISS Mimic project was started to connect people to the International Space Station overhead by building a physical model that mirrors the real station's telemetry. The team has run community build sessions at libraries, shown the project at Maker Faire and Comicpalooza, and worked with teachers and museums. The dashboards evolved from the original NASA ISSLive website.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM11d ago
Practical notes from our verification: the repository structure is clear, with separate folders for each size variant and both low and high detail STLs. The BOM is complete and links to suppliers, though servo prices vary widely depending on metal-gear versus plastic. The build guide walks through mechanical assembly and electronics, but servo calibration is left to the builder with only general guidance — expect to spend time on this, especially if your prints are not perfectly square. The telemetry dashboards run on the Pi and are more feature-rich than NASA's ISSLive site, according to the team; we did not verify this claim against the live NASA site. No official video walkthroughs are linked, though community builds exist. The project has been shown at Maker Faire and used in library sessions, so the design is proven in public builds, not just solo garage projects.