NASA's Curiosity Mars rover took a giant leap this weekend toward becoming an official LEGO toy.
Early Saturday morning (Aug. 18), a do-it-yourself model of the car-size, six-wheeled rover that is now on the Red Planet received its 10,000th vote of support on the LEGO CUUSOO website. The model of Curiosity, which features a working "rocker-bogie" wheel suspension, was designed by a mechanical engineer who helped build the real rover.
"What a cool Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover model and a very timely LEGO CUUSOO project!" wrote the LEGO CUUSOO team on the page profiling the model. "Congratulations on achieving 10,000 supporters. We now officially advance this project to the Review phase."
Philip Member
Posts: 5952 From: Brussels, Belgium Registered: Jan 2001
posted 08-20-2012 09:28 AM
Congrats to Stephen Pakbaz!
I consider this a tremendous work of art that looks like the real thing...
PeterO Member
Posts: 399 From: North Carolina Registered: Mar 2002
posted 08-20-2012 10:09 AM
I've ordered the bricks needed to build this. He also has a SkyCrane to go with it. It's shown on the CUUSOO page with Curiosity.
Ronpur Member
Posts: 1211 From: Brandon, Fl Registered: May 2012
posted 09-17-2012 10:39 PM
I just finished my rover! It was so much fun to collect the parts and build it. I will try to get a picture soon.
Ronpur Member
Posts: 1211 From: Brandon, Fl Registered: May 2012
posted 09-18-2012 02:33 PM
Here is my Lego Curiosity!
jjknap Member
Posts: 273 From: Bourbonnais, IL USA Registered: Apr 2011
posted 09-18-2012 05:37 PM
Looks great! How long did it take you to build?
Ronpur Member
Posts: 1211 From: Brandon, Fl Registered: May 2012
posted 09-18-2012 08:33 PM
About 45 minutes to build and 4 weeks to gather the parts from online!
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42982 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity, which for almost a year has been driving across the Red Planet, will be the next model to roll off LEGO's CUUSOO production line, the toy company announced on Friday (June 14).
The Denmark-based LEGO Group chose a fan-built model of the car-size rover to be the next release in its CUUSOO line of building brick toys.
"We learned that this product has niche appeal and strong demand from the space and education communities," said LEGO's Tim Courtney in a blog posted to the company's website. "The product aligns well with the LEGO Group's mission to 'inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow,' including those who will build our future in outer space."
GoesTo11 Member
Posts: 1309 From: Denver, CO Registered: Jun 2004
posted 06-15-2013 10:43 AM
YES!
I reeeally hope the Sky Crane is part of this kit.
Ronpur Member
Posts: 1211 From: Brandon, Fl Registered: May 2012
posted 06-15-2013 06:30 PM
Really cool news!! Even though I have mine, it still will be awesome to get the kit. I built his Skycrane as well, and it is really amazing, if a bit delicate.
Jim Behling Member
Posts: 1463 From: Cape Canaveral, FL Registered: Mar 2010
posted 06-15-2013 09:31 PM
Sky crane is not a piece of hardware. It is a technique. MSL rover was lowered to the surface from the descent stage.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42982 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-15-2013 10:32 PM
While you are correct Jim, JPL took to calling the descent stage the sky crane as attention to the technique grew.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42982 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-20-2013 10:04 AM
LEGO has announced that the LEGO CUUSOO Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover will be available in early 2014.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42982 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
LEGO will launch its 2014 toy line with a fan-created model of NASA's Mars Curiosity rover.
The Danish toy company announced on Wednesday (Dec. 18) that its new "NASA Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover" building brick set will be available for sale from the LEGO Shop online beginning Jan. 1. The 295-piece model will retail for $29.99.
"Hailed by NASA as a 'miracle of engineering' when [the real rover] landed on Mars in August 2012, we are thrilled to present a LEGO set based on this historic spacecraft," Tim Courtney, LEGO's community manager, wrote on the company's website.
GoesTo11 Member
Posts: 1309 From: Denver, CO Registered: Jun 2004
posted 12-18-2013 07:32 PM
Excellent! Kinda disappointed they chose not to include the descent stage, but I'll still definitely be picking one up and re-visiting a bit of my childhood.
tegwilym Member
Posts: 2331 From: Sturgeon Bay, WI Registered: Jan 2000
posted 12-19-2013 02:01 PM
WANT!!
cspg Member
Posts: 6210 From: Geneva, Switzerland Registered: May 2006
posted 12-29-2013 12:41 PM
Now listed in the LEGO shop (orders begin Jan. 1).
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42982 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
NASA's Mars Curiosity rover has landed in LEGO's toy catalog and is now available for order.
The 295-piece "NASA Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover" is now for sale for $29.95 through the Danish toy company's webshop. Created and suggested by engineer Stephen Pakbaz, who worked on the real Curiosity before its launch to the Red Planet, the model faithfully recreates many of the actual car-size rover's features, including its "rocker-bogie" suspension.
See here to discuss the proposed space models included in this article.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42982 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-01-2014 08:09 AM
Less than half a day since going on sale at midnight (EST) on New Year's Day, LEGO now notes the Mars Curiosity model is "Out of stock, expected ship date 20 Jan 2014."
LEGO is still taking orders, limited to one per person.
GoesTo11 Member
Posts: 1309 From: Denver, CO Registered: Jun 2004
posted 01-01-2014 12:41 PM
Got 2 kits on the way, confirmed. Apparently Lego's initial stock sold out in a hurry.
cspg Member
Posts: 6210 From: Geneva, Switzerland Registered: May 2006
posted 01-01-2014 03:01 PM
quote:Originally posted by Robert Pearlman: "Out of stock, expected ship date 20 Jan 2014."
Same over here.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42982 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-02-2014 10:18 AM
quote:Originally posted by GoesTo11: Got 2 kits on the way, confirmed.
You might want to check your order status again. Despite having placed my order at just after midnight when the set was still listed as in stock, and despite receiving a confirmation e-mail, I was notified today by e-mail that the set is backordered and "it will be a little longer before we can ship it to you."
cspg Member
Posts: 6210 From: Geneva, Switzerland Registered: May 2006
posted 01-02-2014 02:51 PM
Mine says "order being processed." But since everybody's on holidays until tomorrow, we'll see.
GoesTo11 Member
Posts: 1309 From: Denver, CO Registered: Jun 2004
posted 01-02-2014 07:40 PM
For what it's worth, I actually did follow up with LEGO customer service (Bit of a wait on hold, but "Bridget" couldn't have been nicer.) I called because I received one order confirmation email, but my checking account was debited twice. The LEGO rep confirmed that both orders were "in process" and that they should ship without delay. I haven't gotten any subsequent messages to the contrary, so wait and see I guess.
ON EDIT: The LEGO Shop order tracking page also shows both my kits as paid and "in process."
cspg Member
Posts: 6210 From: Geneva, Switzerland Registered: May 2006
posted 01-04-2014 03:36 AM
quote:Originally posted by GoesTo11: ON EDIT: The LEGO Shop order tracking page also shows both my kits as paid and "in process."
Same here. Credit card charged on 1/2.
cspg Member
Posts: 6210 From: Geneva, Switzerland Registered: May 2006
posted 01-06-2014 06:09 AM
And arrived today, 1/6.
modelhopper Member
Posts: 21 From: Herts UK Registered: Dec 2013
posted 01-07-2014 03:00 PM
Same here in the UK. Their Lego service website said in stock but their ordering site says out of stock and not available until Jan 21st, at the earliest.
Had a chat and they apologised profusely for 'the confusion'. Am coming coming up to 72, said I will I receive it before I die, much laughter, that cheered them up. Good to see their customer service can take some good-natured complaining. Will just have to be patient I guess.
DSeuss5490 Member
Posts: 299 From: Columbus, Ohio USA Registered: Jan 2003
posted 01-08-2014 07:53 AM
I placed an order yesterday, got a confirmation email that the product is temporarily out of stock, then a few hours later another email that my order has shipped! Website still says that the product is out of stock.
GoesTo11 Member
Posts: 1309 From: Denver, CO Registered: Jun 2004
posted 01-09-2014 04:39 PM
Received both models today (1/9.) Second Christmas
Ronpur Member
Posts: 1211 From: Brandon, Fl Registered: May 2012
posted 01-14-2014 03:59 PM
Mine arrived today, on my day off, so I built it! Several differences between this one and the original. It made some bits of the assembly easier, and it seems with fewer parts. It was fun to build and now I can always tear it apart and build it again!
jonspace Member
Posts: 169 From: Registered: Jan 2014
posted 01-15-2014 12:48 PM
I really want to display my LEGO Curiosity model in a Mars like setting. I was thinking getting a platform or fishbowl and filling up the bottom with reddish-orange sand/rocks. Has anyone done this? I wonder what kind of dirt would be best? Baseball field clay?
jonspace Member
Posts: 169 From: Registered: Jan 2014
posted 01-17-2014 10:17 AM
Update: Gave my Lego Mars Curiosity rover a familiar home:
Ronpur Member
Posts: 1211 From: Brandon, Fl Registered: May 2012
posted 01-17-2014 08:43 PM
That looks awesome!
GoesTo11 Member
Posts: 1309 From: Denver, CO Registered: Jun 2004
posted 01-17-2014 08:47 PM
Very cool! What did you end up using for "Martian soil?"
jonspace Member
Posts: 169 From: Registered: Jan 2014
posted 01-17-2014 10:35 PM
I visited several pet stores and hardware stores looking for the most Mars-like sand. The winner was "Repti Sand - Natural Red" ($10 for about 10lbs). I also now added a slice of red shale rock in there and it looks pretty good. I also used an air can (the ones to clean computer keyboards, etc.) to simulate a dust storm which put a nice layer of dust on the rover.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42982 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 02-13-2014 10:39 PM
Bobak Ferdowsi ("Mohawk Guy") shared this from JPL's Mars yard:
I brought my little Lego rover to help out on the drilling.
Philip Member
Posts: 5952 From: Brussels, Belgium Registered: Jan 2001
posted 02-15-2014 07:02 AM
Thanks for sharing that nice photo in the Mars yard at JPL in Pasadena. However it looks like the LEGO Curiosity sold out rapidly. LEGO said there were 10,000 votes but I believe less than that were built?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42982 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 02-15-2014 09:46 AM
According to LEGO, it isn't sold out, it is just temporarily out of stock.
A LEGO CUUSOO submission needs 10,000 votes to be considered for production, but that is not based on the market demand (not everyone who votes will buy a set and not everyone who will buy a set votes).
PeterO Member
Posts: 399 From: North Carolina Registered: Mar 2002
posted 02-15-2014 04:18 PM
Over the weekend of February 8-9, LEGO's website did list it as "Sold Out", after showing an availability date of late March earlier in the week. Early on Monday morning it was back in stock, with an availability date of March 9, and limited to one per order or address. By about noon Eastern time it was back to "Temporarily out of stock" status.
Luckily, I got my order in while it was still available!
jonspace Member
Posts: 169 From: Registered: Jan 2014
posted 03-20-2014 07:21 PM
Heads up! Currently available on the Lego site!
I've been checking everyday and this is the first time it's been "available".