Make Your Own Rocky from Project Hail Mary

I made this project on a whim and am so happy with how it turned out! If you’re a Project Hail Mary fan, here’s an easy way to make your own Rocky and Earth atmosphere-safe ball.

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Making Rocky

First, you need to make your own Rocky. There are several ways to do this:

3D printed: Using the free official models provided HERE.
Styrofoam: Carve your own with help from this YouTube tutorial.
Clay: I didn’t consider this option because I wanted it to be sturdy enough to roll around in a ball, but there are several tutorials online.
Papercraft: This is the easiest and most cost-effective method, especially since it only requires a printer, paper, and glue. I used the template from this Facebook post.

I ultimately chose the 3D papercraft because it was pretty easy and didn’t require much time or supplies. The Rocky I made in these photos was made with the template printed at “actual size.”

Tips for making your 3D paper Rocky:

Print on cardstock for a sturdier Rocky.
Actual size is roughly 12″ at the widest point. If I made this again, I’d make a bigger Rocky by printing the template larger.
Cut along the solid lines and fold along the dotted lines.
Start with the sections with the most folded edges and work your way around. You want to work toward leaving one side open. I found that leaving a larger section open made it easier to close the whole thing.
Don’t worry about folding the edges too sharply. If you do, it’ll be harder to glue the parts you can’t easily hold together.
I used precision craft glue for piecing the individual parts, then I hot glue to connect everything. I went back and reinforced all the joints with more hot glue so Rocky wouldn’t fall apart in the ball.
Keep the parts in order so you can figure out what goes where. I used the pictures in the Facebook post to help me figure it out.

Making Rocky’s Ball

To survive in Earth’s atmosphere, Rocky obviously needs a ball. You can do this several ways, but I didn’t want to try cutting up a bunch of plastic and dowels. (My hand is still recovering from an injury, and I have limited use of it still.)

For the simplest option, I got myself a clear inflatable ball, cut a hole in it, put Rocky inside, and sealed it back up. Easy peasy.

Tips for making Rocky’s ball:

Measure Rocky to figure out what size ball you need. Since my Rocky measured just over 12″ at the widest point, and I wanted to give him plenty of wiggle room, I went with a 16″ ball.
Cut a hole just big enough to wedge Rocky inside. I inflated the ball first, then used a box cutter for a clean cut.
Realign the edges of the hole, keeping it as flat and even as possible, then tape it with waterproof tape. I tried using a thinner piece of tape, but ultimately realized that a wider piece was the best and most leakproof option. I used the color I had on hand, but I would go with clear next time around.
Reinflate (with ammonia obv) and you’re set! Use an electric/hand pump if needed. It needs a surprising amount of air, and I had the hardest time trying to inflate it without one.

This whole project took me a couple of nights working on the paper Rocky and then another 15-ish minutes to figure out the ball. It’s an incredibly easy project and can be done in one day if you want to get it done quickly.