This might be one of the most nerdy, awesome, and adorable Kickstarter campaigns ever posted. An intensely likable father and daughter from Florida, both big Doctor Who fans, want to put a miniature TARDIS into Low Earth Orbit to commemorate the show’s 50th Anniversary.
As shown in their video, shooting things into outer space via rocket is quite expensive. They’re asking for $33,000 to put their small, solar-powered TARDIS into orbit. They also say that the more money they get, the larger the TARDIS they can build. A full-size TARDIS floating around the Earth at all times would be awesome, but that’s pretty pricey: $382,000, to be precise. As it is, with 22 days left, the campaign has over $20,000, so they’re very nearly at their asking amount, but maybe with a push they could get enough for the full-sizer.
Here’s a bit about the notion straight from their own mouth, or typing fingers:
November 23, 2013 is the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, and we’re extremely excited. So excited, in fact, that we almost don’t know what to do… almost. Actually, we know exactly what to do: We’ve built a replica TARDIS and we’re sending it into orbit. Yes, really! We’re not talking about sticking a little, plastic TARDIS on top of a model rocket and shooting it really high into the sky (although that would be wicked cool). And we’re not going to tie a TARDIS to a weather balloon (which, by the way would also be pretty flippin’ awesome). No, we’re putting a TARDIS into the payload bay of a real, actual, honest-to-goodness, rocket, and launching it into a Low Earth Orbit.
Low Earth Orbit is where satellites need to be to actually “orbit” the Earth, not just fall back down. So, we’re talking about sending this thing, really, really, high… space high. The international space station is in Low Earth Orbit. Seriously. The guys on the International Space Station will be able to look out their windows and say: “Check out that police call box floating by.”
The perks for this campaign include t-shirts, posters, blueprints of the TARDIS, and, perhaps coolest, escalating amounts of data to be put in the TARDIS databanks. Anything you want! Pictures, words, videos, whatever fits in the amount of space your pledge gets you. That’s a pretty exciting thought. Also, there’s the knowledge that you helped launch a piece of Doctor Who into the stratosphere.
If you want to donate, visit their Kickstarter page here. Plus, these two are great. Always nice to see parents and kids nerd out together.
THE HATERS shall be EXTTTERRRRMMMINNNATTTEDDD!!!
I foot long object in orbit are very dangerous for other orbiting objects.
Sadly this project is irresponsible. 🙁
I think this is a wonderful idea.
And for those of you who are saying that putting “junk” in space is dangerous and irresponsible are misinformed. I am an astronomy major in my senior year of college at Yale, and putting objects into Low Orbit doesn’t damage anything. It’s perfectly safe. Sending object into high orbit (farther into space) is dangerous because they can get knocked out and fall like a meteorite onto another planet.
Anku
There is a part of me that agrees with you ,and see your point .As you can tell I commented above ,and stand behind it . The people in the video are very questionable ,in my opinion . I don’t even know if they are REAL FANS ,or just taking advantage of the Doctor Who craze . I wish I could put my figure on why they bug me . As I now understand they have the money needed ,so now it is their turn to prove me wrong . Also if I am right ,they received over the amount needed ,not enough for the life-size version (unless they did ) ,but over the main amount ,so what are they going to do with the extra money .
I can’t wait to see the follow up video (there won’t be one ) and see this TARDIS launched into space ,with all the promises made …fulfilled .
I see where this can be a waste of money. I can see where this can be a waste of time for a personal obsession. But as a huge nerd, I am entertained by this Idea, and Instead of playing Caesar like the ones above, I will merely NOT fund this project. The Beauty of choice is just that. You people are acting as if these people are wrong for wanting to do this, when they merely have a shared love for The Doctor and the show. These shows change peoples lives, Great example being Star Trek, People become Astronomers, Apply at Nasa, Become some of the greatest Philosophers Because of that exact show. I see no difference with Doctor Who. Honestly I think the people criticizing this Idea should be a bit more considerate of other people they live with on this earth.
In case anyone’s interested, they’re already $8k past their funding goal and into the stretch goal push for a “full-size” version. Oy.
What a great idea, just one suggestion: name the ship S.S. RETARDIS.
Keep up the good work!
Kickstarter got out off hand. It was suppose to be a place for unknown artists, academics etc. to raise their voice about their work, to fund their projects they cannot afford because of economical unavailability. It has become a perfect place to present the examples of first world problems. It makes me sad to see how ignorant and oblivious people are.
Silly idea…why not approach the BBC about this, or some famous Who fans? (then again, maybe this kickstarter is their way of doing so)
I’m a huge Doctor Who fan, but this is just putting something in to space for the sake of putting something in to space. It’s wasteful, and frankly, stupid. At least put some useful scientific functionality in to the thing. Petition NASA to make one of their future satellites resemble the TARDIS. I think that michaelalexkawa nailed it, unfortunately. Do something useful, or spend your own money. Don’t have enough money? Tough bananas. Live and learn.
Here is the thing ,Doctor Who is great and all ,but this is a waste of time and money . Now I will say that everybody is entitled to do as they wish with the money they have . Want to buy a comic book for 10,000 …fine , an Action Figure for 50,000 …awesome , a prop from the Star Wars set for a cool million ….kudos to you ,but to ask people to give money for your obsession ,that is where I draw the line . This project is not going to help the world , it is not going to bring awareness to an issue ,like Sadness said above ,it may make people think that Nerds and Doctor Who fans are a bunch of nuts ,so it will repel fans away from the series . This is just sad , ….but hey while I am here …
I have been a Transformer fan since 1985 ,and have never been able to own an Fortress Maximus ,so perhaps some of you can send me some money ,so that I can ,all I need it about $600 dollars …..so why not .
See that is my point ,it is a low move ,have an obsession ,then SPEND YOU OWN F&*%ING MONEY .
@ferfuxache (how long did it take you to think that one up?), I don’t think you understand the meaning of the word “peckerwood.” I mean, didn’t know what it meant, but I looked it up… and it much more accurately describes someone who isn’t concerned about the long-term effects of a project (or the message sent by supporting it editorially) than someone who is. Oddly enough, you’ve just opened my eyes to a new word to call people like yourself.
Science and human wellbeing don’t wait up for your little social rules about how it’s cool to be laidback and not have a stick up your ass. Nihilism isn’t the secret to the universe; it’s just an excuse to let everyone else do all the work.
Awesome idea, but isn’t there already a ton of stuff floating around up there? The SGU have talked about it a couple of times. With so much thought and money going in to how to get rid of all the space junk (which could potentially trap us on earth by becoming impassable), I don’t think I could support this project.
yeah guys, what we should really be funding is the kickstarter to create the device that removes the massive sticks from all of your asses. seriously i could’ve given a crap about this ks campaign but now i’m going to fund it just to spite you all, you morose peckerwoods.
@Sarah, I guess you’d also call ROSA PARKS a Negative Nancy, too, then! Just be sure to enunciate “negative” really clearly, or you’ll sound even worse…
…
OK, the above is an ironic statement, because protesting something on the internet has nothing to do with actual civil rights. But I’m making a point. Sarah, you’re criticizing people for speaking up about something that actually has legitimate consequences, and perpetuates a pretty lousy sort of behavior which many people don’t realize is so lousy. If nobody spoke up about these things, I’m pretty sure the world would be a much worse place.
So, to borrow a phrase from you… I have a great idea. If you don’t like seeing people communicate honestly about the problems with an idea, don’t read the comment thread. Sound good? Good.
I’m not being negative at all, i’m telling it how it is, there is a lot of trash up in our orbit, and this garbage damages useful communication, and scientific satellites all the time, The argument that other people have shot garbage into space so we should also is a pretty bad argument, it’s like saying I saw someone pour gasoline, or oil into the lake, so that means I can also. Where my argument is space trash is a real problem, and at the moment we have no way of getting rid of that space trash, it stays in orbit forever. For something to stay in orbit it doesn’t just sit there floating around, it has to be traveling over 1800 meters a second or it wouldn’t stay in orbit, the fact that it’s one foot tall is irreverent, it will destroy anything it runs into.
Putting garbage in space on purpose because we can is stupid, and very irresponsible. we should be trying to limit the junk we put up there considering at the moment we have no way of removing it from orbit. Ignorance is bliss I suppose.
You guys are being really Negative Nancys. I can thing of a thousand worse things that get shot into space on a daily basis… Hell, Timothy Leary’s head is up there somewhere. It is a TARDIS one foot tall. And the light will blink. And it will take space pictures.
I have a great idea. If you don’t like this idea, don’t give it any money. Sound good? Good.
Do people even know that space trash in earths orbit is starting to become a big deal? This project is not only stupid, it’s very irresponsible.
I thought this was cute at first, but um…. at that cost… Seriously? $33,000 USD? Cute, but come on… look how much individual people are pledging. I know people who would donate hundreds to this but wouldn’t think of donating a penny – or getting any joy out of donating a penny – to anything actually um, important.
^ I find this very hard to argue with.
I know it’s likely that some will reply, “Wull, wull, whut else are we supposed to do, where’s the line,” and so on, but there’s kinda no argument for why this is a good thing. It’s not about fandom; I’m a huge Star Wars fan, but I’d scoff just the same if this were the Millennium Falcon.
Nerds, why not fund something to send nuclear waste into orbit instead? There’s a chance you’ll actually get some life enjoyment out of it, because you might be preventing a nuclear waste disposal disaster that causes factory shutdowns and drives up prices on manufactured stuff you like. You’ll never even SEE the Tardis in orbit.
I know Nerdist is just supposed to be an aggregator for all nerd things, but as your audience grows, so does your editorial responsibility. Yes, we celebrate the nostalgia that comes from consumerism, but I think there are reasonable limits that can be placed on what you support.
That’s a pretty high price tag for a project that’s basically just a high-tech form of littering. A million thumbs down.
Please stop sucking the soul out of nerdism. There isn’t much left, and this kind of thing is actually turning would be fans away from your favorite show. Can I beg you to fund something important? Kickstarter is quickly becoming the proof that people don’t care about the poor or any sort of progress at all. Evidently there aren’t enough toilets into which we can pour those rapidly shrinking public dollars.