On Friday, August 5th three very special LEGO minifigures launched into space aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft on a mission to Jupiter!
The three minifigures currently hurling through our solar system were designed to resemble the Roman god Jupiter, his wife (and sister) Juno and “father of science” Galileo Galilei. Their trip to Jupiter will take 5 years. Upon arrival Juno will orbit Jupiter for one year (33 revolutions) to study the planet.
I’m sure after looking at the photo above you’re wondering why these mini-figs appear gray. Well, that’s because these aren’t your typical store bought minifigs. They are similar in size to the minifigs you’d find in a LEGO set at the store, but they’re made of space-grade aluminum and apparently cost NASA a cool $5,000 each! They were made from aluminum to ensure they could survive the freezing temperatures of space.
The whole thing is part of NASA and the LEGO Group’s long-standing relationship (LEGO minifigs have traveled aboard the space shuttle, visited the space station and even flown to Mars!) and their true mission is to spark youngster’s interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
When Juno (the spaceship) completes its mission the custom minifigures will meet a fiery demise as the ship intentionally crashes into the planet.
Related Posts:
Updated LEGO Space Shuttle Consists Of 1,230 Pieces!
Life-Size LEGO Creatures Set Loose In Bronx Zoo!
--
Discuss this story in our Toys forums! Follow @MTVGeek on Twitter and be sure to "like" us on Facebook for the best geek news about comics, toys, gaming and more!