Legos in the Lab

The toys both delight children and aid groundbreaking research — Lego figures have even ventured into space.

By Chris Holt
Sep 25, 2021 5:00 AMSep 25, 2021 12:45 PM
lego scientist labcoat
(Credit: cjmacer/Shutterstock)

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

On Aug. 5, 2011, the Juno spacecraft blasted off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral and started its 5-year journey to Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. The spacecraft carried a mass of scientific equipment designed to determine parameters like the planet’s composition and the amount of water present, as well as map out its gravity field. Juno also carried some unusual passengers: three tiny Lego figures. They represented the Roman sky and thunder god Jupiter, his wife Juno, and Galileo Galilei, the scientist who studied Jupiter’s four largest moons in 1610.  

The Lego figure cargo was intended to promote interest in science and cosmology among youngsters. Each of the space-traveling characters are the same size as typical Lego figures, but they're cast in a "special space-grade aluminum," according to Scott Bolton, Juno’s principal investigator. "They have gone through all the testing to make sure that they fit on our spacecraft in a way that is like our other science instruments." 

0 free articles left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

0 free articlesSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

Stay Curious

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and unlock one more article for free.

 

View our Privacy Policy


Want more?
Keep reading for as low as $1.99!


Log In or Register

Already a subscriber?
Find my Subscription

More From Discover
Recommendations From Our Store
Shop Now
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2024 Kalmbach Media Co.