Half of a century ago, it took some of the world’s top scientists to build Sputnik, the first man-made satellite. Today, Paul Rubens writes for BBC News Magazine, intrepid techies can build their very own beeping space transmitters using typical, household items. Gadgets as common as a baby monitor, a wireless router, and a tin box are really all a person needs to make their own 1950s-era satellite. After that, it’s just a question of getting the box into space. –Eric Kelsey
