Mars rover Perseverance and helicopter Ingenuity as a Lego set – that’s what’s behind it
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Since the successful landing on Mars in February 2021, the Mars rover Perseverance and the mini helicopter Ingenuity have been exploring the red planet’s Jezero Crater together. Perseverance and Ingenuity have been available as Lego sets since the beginning of June 2023.
In a communication NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has now explained why the US space agency is working with the Danish game manufacturer. And why Perseverance and Ingenuity have now appeared in the 1:10 scale in Lego’s Technic series.
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The Mars missions, according to JPL director Laurie Leshin, began several decades ago with an idea so big that many thought it was impossible. But it was possible to bring a rover and a helicopter to Mars and explore Mars.
“At JPL, we dream big and push the boundaries,” says Leshin. “I hope this type of toy sparks the same exploratory spirit in children that we have here at NASA’s JPL.”
For JPL’s Scott Hulme, who helped the Lego team refine the set, collaborating with companies like Lego is a way to make space exploration more fun and accessible for the next generation of explorers.
The Lego Technic set “Nasa Mars Rover Perseverance” comes with 360 degree steering and posable arms. Thanks to the flexible suspension, Perseverance should be able to roll over uneven terrain on its six wheels. Like the original, the rover model has propulsion, antennas, cameras and scientific instruments.
The accompanying augmented reality app is intended to provide the young researchers – the set is suitable for ages ten and older – with information about the environmental conditions on Mars and make the rover’s mission tangible.
Perseverance as a Lego set: AR app to make Nasa mission even more tangible. (Image: Lego)
NASA has been working with Lego since the 1990s. The results include detailed Lego versions of the International Space Station ISS, the Apollo Lunar Module and the Saturn V rocket, as well as several joint educational projects.
In addition, three white figures were on course for Jupiter on the Juno rocket, and four Lego figures were on board the Orion capsule, which flew to the moon and back to Earth in 2022 as part of NASA’s Artemis 1 mission.
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The Perseverance Lego set, which was launched at a price of 94.99 euros has comecurrently only costs 79.99 euros at Amazon.
