The LEGO Group’s astronauts have finally blasted into space

After multiple delays, a quartet of LEGO minifigures are travelling into space as part of the Artemis 1 moon mission.

The LEGO Group and space have long gone hand in hand, with a range of LEGO space-themed sets over the decades. A few LEGO sets (such as 60227 Lunar Space Station) have even been launched from Earth, fulfilling the dreams of many a young LEGO fan. However, the company’s new collaboration with NASA is taking that idea to new heights. 

Earlier today at 1:47am local time, the inaugural flight of NASA’s Artemis programme launched from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. The Space Launch System (which is carrying an Orion spacecraft) is NASA’s most powerful rocket, generating 8.8 million pounds of thrust. That thrust will take the SLS and Orion on a trip to the moon and beyond; over the next 26 days, they will photograph space and deploy satellites, further expanding our knowledge of the universe.

We are going.

For the first time, the @NASA_SLS rocket and @NASA_Orion fly together. #Artemis I begins a new chapter in human lunar exploration. pic.twitter.com/vmC64Qgft9

— NASA (@NASA) November 16, 2022

The Orion spacecraft isn’t carrying any human crew members – although planned Artemis missions in 2024 and 2025 will bring people back into outer space. However, a quartet of LEGO minifigures are aboard Orion at the moment, according to a tweet posted earlier by the LEGO Group.

The LEGO passengers are (it seems) a tie-in to the LEGO Group’s Build to Launch program, which teaches children about the technology and ideas behind the Artemis 1 program. The fact that there are actual LEGO crew members aboard the spacecraft should prove something of an incentive to learn nowadays.

Of course, it may also prove an incentive to buy more LEGO products – with official NASA-branded sets currently available in the LEGO City and Friends lines. The former range has produced a number of more realistic space-themed sets over the last few years, which typically draw inspiration from NASA’s current technology.

In any case, the idea that four LEGO minifigures are whizzing around the solar system is an intriguing one. You can watch the full launch of the Artemis 1 mission on NASA’s YouTube channel, or – if you want to recreate the launch at home – pick up 60351 Rocket Launch Centre from LEGO.com.

(Image Source: @LEGO_Group)

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