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GADSDEN, Ala. — Most parents could easily say they loved their child to the moon and back, but one father was willing to prove it in an out-of-this-world way.
At the tender age of one, Noah Sherrouse is already boldly going where no toddler has gone before. That's because his father, Daniel, took it upon himself to create a one-of-a-kind spaceship simulator for his boy to captain in his very own backyard.
While this spacecraft might not be blasting off into the great unknown anytime soon, it's definitely a jaw-dropper.
I wanted him to grow up with something that would give him lifelong inspiration.
–Daniel Sherrouse
Daniel started with a small trailer — the most expensive part of the project, he told ABC News — and created the magic from there. Inside, Daniel installed an air conditioning unit, a main computer, dashboards, controls and all kinds of switches, buttons and dials for Noah to navigate.
One of the computers is set up to play the video game Pioneer Space Simulator, while several other monitors include a radar screen saver and a system start-up video David concocted himself.
The icing on the cake — an intricate paint job that would make even Neil Armstrong feel right at home.
The cosmic masterpiece took about 10 months to build, Daniel said. Most of the equipment was donated by friends and family.
Daniel was already designing the blueprint for his creation before Noah was even born. Inspired by the likes of physicist Carl Sagan, Daniel wanted to teach his son to love the stars.
"I wanted him to grow up with something that would give him lifelong inspiration," Daniel told the Huffington Post. "That is why I built it while he was very young. I want him to grow into it and learn and explore as he goes."
Sherrouse, a computer technician by day, documented his project on his blog, All We Have is Gravity. He said he built it to be easily updated and renovated so that as Noah grows, his spacecraft will grow and mature with him.
"We must inspire the next generation to reach for the things we have not had the courage to invest in," David told CNET Australia.
In this case, what may have been one small step for Noah is clearly for Daniel one giant leap towards the title of world's most amazing dad.
