Description of the Problem

As the name suggests, a block model is a solid piece of material with no working or moveable parts. Block models are used in advertisements and brochures when a final project is not yet complete. Block models can be made out of wood, Styrofoam, papier-Mâché, flexible plastic, or other materials.

To begin a block model of the Space Station, focus on a cluster of components. Additional structural components may be designed, built, and added to the core. A Space Station block model helps us differentiate United States, Japanese, European, and Russian structural components. Block models demonstrate how components link together. They also provide an illustration of the structural and scalar dimensions of this strange and complicated vehicle.

A Block Model Created by High School Students
Pictures and movies illustrate a partial one-fiftieth scale block model of the International Space Station created by students at Belmont Career Center High School in St. Clairsville, Ohio. Below is a picture of their block model featuring four components of the ISS: the Centrifuge Accommodation Module, Japanese Experimentation Pressurized Module, Japanese Experiment Logistics Module, and Node 2.

The model (shown left) created by Belmont Career Center students is made out of wood, plastic, aluminum, and steel. It is mounted on a Plexiglas stand. This model was designed and cut using machine trade lathe operations. The working drawings were created as described in the activity called Build A Model. This approach to creating a block model follows the recommended ITEA design process.