posted 07-22-2016 01:55 PM               

Sally Ride, Mae Jemison among 'Women of NASA' proposed as LEGO minifigs

They have been launched to the space station and journeyed on a probe to Jupiter, have honored moonwalkers and made spaceflight the stuff of child's play.

Now, they are going where no man — or rather woman — LEGO minifigure has gone before: showcasing the role of female pioneers in the U.S. space program.

"Women of NASA," a proposed LEGO set by a science writer and fan of the iconic toy brick brand, features LEGO minifigures in the likeness of five women who made lasting contributions to the space agency's exploration efforts.

posted 08-02-2016 04:46 AM               

'Women of NASA' fan-made LEGO minifigs rocket to 10,000-vote review

Astronauts Sally Ride and Mae Jemison, along with three other noted women from NASA's history, may be soon made into official LEGO minifigures now that a fan's proposal has qualified for a production review.

The "Women of NASA" set, which was created by science writer Maia Weinstock, soared to 10,000 votes on Tuesday (Aug. 2) on the LEGO Ideas website, where the public can support fan-made projects in hopes of seeing them offered for sale by the Danish toy company. Projects that meet the 10,000-vote threshold are considered by LEGO to possibly become official products.

"Thanks again to all who have supported, cheered, and shouted from the rooftops on behalf of 'Women of NASA'!" Weinstock, deputy editor at MIT News, wrote on the LEGO Ideas site.

posted 12-26-2016 09:42 AM               

This week's 10K Club member is none other than Maia Weinstock, a.k.a 20tauri, whose Women of NASA took LEGO Ideas by storm in the summer of 2016 - a blistering 15 days is all it took for her project to reach 10,000 supporters. Maia crafted a fun vignette series that all came together through a meticulously planned campaign to drive the supporters necessary to see this project move into the LEGO Ideas Review.

posted 02-28-2017 09:08 AM               

LEGO to make 'Women of NASA' minifigs, including Sally Ride, Katherine Johnson

Mathematician Katherine Johnson, one of NASA's "Hidden Figures," will be honored with her own LEGO minifigure, as part of a new toy set celebrating the space agency's pioneering women.

LEGO on Tuesday (Feb. 28) announced it will release the fan-created "Women of NASA" set as its next LEGO Ideas commercial product.

posted 03-02-2017 09:00 AM               

Awesome to be featured as a LEGO with Dr. Sally Ride! Excited to be part of such a great group of women and even more jazzed about women in STEM!

posted 10-18-2017 06:00 AM               

'Women of NASA' LEGO set to launch for sale Nov. 1

Four trailblazing figures from NASA's history are set to launch as new LEGO minifigures on Nov. 1.

NASA astronauts Sally Ride and Mae Jemison, astronomer Nancy Grace Roman and computer scientist Margaret Hamilton are celebrated for their contributions to space exploration and astronomy in the new LEGO Ideas set, "Women of NASA." Based on a fan-proposed and supported design, the set includes representations of the four female space pioneers, as well as three LEGO builds that recreate the spacecraft and settings where the women made their mark on space history.

posted 10-18-2017 06:04 AM               

To celebrate the upcoming release of the Women of NASA set we're happy to have Maia Weinstock join us at the Flatiron District LEGO Store in New York City to meet and greet fans, while signing the Women of NASA LEGO set at this exclusive pre-release event.

Date: 28th October, 2017 from 10am - 2pm
Location: LEGO Store, 200 5th Avenue, Flatiron District, New York City.

posted 10-28-2017 09:57 AM               

From LEGO on Facebook:

If you can't join us, you can still stand a chance of winning a signed set! Simply ask Maia a relevant question in the comments here. Maia will answer the winning questions later in the day.

posted 11-01-2017 12:00 AM               

LEGO launches sale of 'Women of NASA' minifigures

History-making astronauts Sally Ride and Mae Jemison now share store shelf space with ninjas, knights and superheroes as the newest LEGO minifigures to launch for sale.

"Women of NASA," a new LEGO Ideas set celebrating the achievements of female pioneers from the space agency's 60-year history, debuted in LEGO stores and toy shops on Wednesday (Nov. 1). The 231-piece set, which is available for $24.95, features four minifigures and three small builds "great for role-playing space exploration missions," LEGO describes on its website.

posted 11-13-2017 10:52 AM               

Last week, Maia Weinstock held a special launch party to celebrate the Women of NASA set. Among the guests of honour were both Margaret Hamilton and Nancy Grace Roman, who have been immortalised as LEGO minifigures in the set, as well as Sally Ride's sister, Bear Ride.

The evening commenced with speeches from Maia, Margaret, Nancy Grace, Bear as well as Daiva from the LEGO Ideas team, before guests could mingle, enjoy the attractions at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston and, of course, get Women of NASA sets signed.

Check out our photos from the evening!

posted 12-26-2017 09:16 AM               

Meet four amazing — astronauts, scientists, and mathematicians — who helped make space travel a reality. Illustrated with photography from the new LEGO Ideas Women of NASA set, this book for children learning to read is a fun way to discover the achievements of some of space travel's greatest pioneers.

Read about Mae Jemison, the first African American women to travel in space. Find out how Sally Ride inspired future scientists after her career as an astronaut. Discover how Margaret Hamilton created computer software for the Apollo mission, and see the stars with Nancy Grace Roman through the giant Hubble Telescope. Learn about NASA, and explore what life is like aboard the Endeavour Space Shuttle!

Presented with fun images, simple vocabulary and lots of word repetition to engage young readers and help them build their literary skills, "DK Reader L1: LEGO Women of NASA" celebrates achievements in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

posted 08-20-2018 09:24 PM               

The LEGO Women of NASA look right at home at Air and Space! These prototypes, designed by science editor and writer Maia Weinstock, are now part of our collection.

These prototypes were made for LEGO Ideas, which lets fans submit their own ideas for new LEGO products and vote for their favorites. The official set hit shelves in November 2017.

Explore the real stories of LEGO's Women of NASA in our collection — from Sally Ride’s flight jacket, to the Apollo software developed by Margaret Hamilton and her team.