My Son Asked for a Rocket Ship… So I Built One

What happens when your son watches Apollo 13 on repeat and asks for a rocket ship? You start sketching… then open Fusion… and suddenly you’re building a two-story rocket ship playhouse.

This project was inspired by an old Make magazine video, but I leveled it up into a two-level structure with a hatch, windows, ladder, and a control panel inside. I focused more on structure, durability, and imagination than complicated mechanical gimmicks—and I think that paid off.

The build combines:

• A 2×3 framed structure with OSB flooring
• Laser-cut hatches and window openings
• 3D-printed details like engine bells, window trim, and handles
• Fabric-lined interiors using moving blankets for a real spacecraft feel
• Vinyl graphics, flexible trim, and mock thrusters
• A custom control panel with switches, displays, sound effects, a bass shaker, and two interactive game modes for docking and landing

It’s big, it’s ambitious, it barely fits in my basement, and my very excited four-year-old supervised the entire build.

There are a few things I’d love to improve in a future update—like glowing engines and reworked window trim—so let me know what you’d do differently or what upgrades you’d like to see next.