Interstellar minifigures
Posted by FlagsNZ,
In 1977, NASA launched two space probes, Voyager 1 and 2, on a journey into the outer solar system. These two probes were launched so that they could take advantage of a favourable alignment of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune and use gravity to slingshot into the outer reaches of the heliosphere.
Two years later, LEGO patented their minifigure.
Read on to see how far the latest LEGO minifigures have travelled into the solar system.
Yesterday, after an almost five-year journey to the solar system’s largest planet, NASA's Juno spacecraft successfully entered Jupiter’s orbit during a 35-minute engine burn. Confirmation that the burn had completed was received on Earth at 8:53 pm. PDT, Monday, July 4.
Mission Overview
Juno's mission overview is:
- Understand origin and evolution of Jupiter
- Look for a solid planetary core
- Map Jupiter's magnetic field
- Measure the water and ammonia in Jupiter's deep atmosphere
- Observe auroras
The spacecraft's name comes from Greco-Roman mythology. The god Jupiter drew a veil of clouds around himself to hide his mischief, but his wife, the goddess Juno, was able to peer through the clouds and see Jupiter's true nature.
Previous deep space exploration
Previous space probes have contained images and recordings depicting life on earth. Pioneer 10 and 11 each contained a gold-anodized aluminium plaque which showed depictions of a human male and female as well as several symbols designed to help locate Earth.
Voyager 1 and 2 travelled with a golden record. The record contains sounds and images that were selected to portray the diversity of life and cultures on Earth
It perhaps indicates something about the speed of development of technology on Earth that the leading cosmologists, including the late Carl Sagan, used these analogue recording systems only a mere 30 years ago to leave a potential message with sophisticated interstellar life.
Minifigures
Aboard Juno are three cast aluminium minifigures: the Roman god Jupiter, his wife Juno and Galileo Galilei.
Jupiter is holding thunderbolts in his hand, Juno holds a magnifying glass while Galileo holds a telescope in one hand and a model of Jupiter in the other.
Galileo's contributions to observational astronomy include the discovery of the four largest satellites of Jupiter, named the Galilean moons in his honour.
These could be described as the most valuable collectable-minifigures in existence.
The interstellar mixed message?
Interstellar explorers would have some idea about the evolution and development of intelligent life on Earth if they were to discover the gold-anodized aluminium plaque aboard Pioneer 10 or 11 while looking at a pale blue dot from outer space?
A few years later, they would come across one of two copies of a golden record aboard either Voyager 1 or 2.
The Juno mission is set to conclude in February 2018, after completing 37 orbits of Jupiter, when the probe will be burn up in Jupiter's outer atmosphere.
These interstellar explorers might think that human evolution changed dramatically if they were to discover the cast aluminium minifigures aboard Juno before it were to be consumed in the atmospheric burnout in early 2018?
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21 comments on this article
Love that thunderbolt piece
Wonder how much they will go for on eBay
Hah... I remember reading that these were the most valuable minifigures in existence, simply because it would cost upwards of $1 billion to retrieve them :P
But, seriously, I want that thunderbolt piece!
Wonder how they got the design for it? Are NASA and Lego in partnership?
^can you imagine a special Lego exclusive set issued like the white Boba Fett
"it would cost upwards of $1 billion to retrieve them :P"
Retrieve ? Not happening...
Heh, you have time until February 2018 to grab them on Jupiter's orbit. ;D
Would be nice to have normal plastic figures released!
Would be great for Lego to release a special minifigure set of these - whether they be monochrome or normally coloured. Could be released in planet packaging looking like Jupiter; like the Star Wars planet sets were.
LEGO has a whole dedicated webpage with their collaboration with NASA with some interesting info: http://www.lego.com/en-US/campaigns/mission-to-space-with-nasa/
Thought Lego was going to release an Interstellar movie set… Guess not haha. Anyway, this is great as well.
If some alien happened to find the Juno craft orbiting Jupiter I'm fairly sure they would know just about everything significant about Earth already.
Although they might wonder why we sent these caricatures of ourselves to the largest planet in our star system?
But from our radio and TV broadcasts they would probably already know how narcissistic we are.... :)
@Venunder
Let's just hope no one slipped in footage of Space Invaders or Halo in there!
Yeah, good luck retrieving them to resell them on Bricklink ...
But now any aliens that find the satellite will think Earthlings are generally immobile, made of aluminium and 2 inches tall.
Dear Ebay Seller,
I finally received the three minifigures I ordered. They 'only' took five years to reach me. I have to say that I am singularly unimpressed by the tardiness of your postal service.
To make matters worse, you actually sent the wrong minifigures. The minifigures you sent me were of Jupiter, Juno and Galileo. What I ordered was three Alien Conquest minifigures - politically incorrect though they are. Please advise whether I can keep the minifigures you sent in error or must return them in exchange for the ones I ordered.
I have to say that I am sorely tempted to leave negative feedback for you and your entire planet.
Yours unhappily,
Zander the Jovian
Zeus City, Great Red Storm
Jupiter
Love this article! I live in Houston, just minutes from NASA, so I am a huge space fan and love anything to do with the space program. Naturally, NASA combined with Lego is like a dream come true! I didn't know these three figures were along for the ride on this awesome mission. Very cool!
Paraphrasing Apollo 13: "When I go up to Mars, I'm bringing my whole collection of minifigures along."
They should have released a special commemorative pack with the three minifigures instead of the Classic Knight promo pack.
I love everything about this; the fact that there are exlusive Lego minifigures floating in space on their way to Jupiter (which only makes me wish someone would finally build an affordable fully functional Millenium Falcon so I could retrieve them on my lunch break - come on its 2016 people!), the article, and the comments ( @Zander your comment really cracked me up, I was drinking my coffee and laughed and a little went up my nose, thanks for that:)
Thanks for the news, I would love that billion dollars to be sent to me.
Re-create these three minifigures in plastic in full colour and do a limited run of 10,000...can anyone say massive demand?
More minifigures have been sent into space than citizens of Denmark. Lego is essentially producing Denmark's best space program.
So @theBrickBlogger, how long until Greenpeace try to sever the collaboration between Lego and NASA???
I miss the Shell sets from the petrol station...
I guess after Juno mission has concluded in 2018, Lego would release a memorial set of these 3 figures either in same aluminium made or colorful one
Hopefully it is not a limited set