1,000 "legonauts" travel on stratostats – why?
Lego has joined forces with Czech-Slovak space experts to send a thousand mini- figures on a journey to the "edge of space" aboard stratostats.
The "legonauts", sitting in a 3D-printed space shuttle without a roof, were launched on three separate balloons, each of which contained about 330 figures. The balloons lifted them to a height of 34 kilometers, withstanding a temperature of -70 ° C, before bursting. (For comparison: large and high-speed airliners fly in the upper layers at an altitude of 7 to 13 kilometers, and the international border of space is at an altitude of 100 kilometers).
Tiny astronauts safely returned to Earth on specially designed landing platforms resembling space mini-shuttles on parachutes, tells about the "toy" AeroTime mission.
A survey conducted by Lego showed that about 90% of children still consider astronauts to be the most exciting profession. This expedition can be considered not only a marketing campaign, but also evidence of the growing availability and interest in space exploration. The company hopes in this way to stimulate the interest and curiosity of the children, their craving for knowledge and experiments.
"We want to show children that their dreams can go beyond the surrounding space," said Iva Ambrozhova, Marketing Director of Lego in the Czech Republic. "The Lego brand strives to inspire young builders and support them on their way to realizing everything they have in mind."
A team of space engineers from Slovakia and the Czech Republic, led by space architect Thomas Rousek, had to make sure that none of the astronauts fell from the shuttle during the descent of the platform. During the free fall phase, Lego astronauts reached speeds of up to 300 km/h, so it was a difficult task to ensure their safety.
In addition, the weight of the entire platform, including the figures, should not exceed 2.7 kg so that the balloons could take off. The space shuttle was created using lightweight materials such as carbon fiber, stainless steel and plastic.
As a bonus, the biggest Lego enthusiasts now have a chance to win one of these brave "legonauts" in a special prize draw.
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