This balls construction is based on the construction of a globe. It's the first step on a path to create a ball that looks like the planet. I've made a few balls in this theme before, but this construction has the potential to be my favorite. 

The next step is to adjust the size of the panels slightly, make another prototype, then move on and create a version of the ball that has the outline for the continents across the ball. That ball will be very complex, so before attempting it I'm going to perfect the base construction first.