HeadlinesBriefing favicon HeadlinesBriefing.com

Lego Releases Detailed Hubble Space Telescope Model

Ars Technica •
×

Lego has launched a new desktop model of the Hubble Space Telescope, meticulously designed to reflect its configuration following its fifth servicing mission in 2009. This detailed replica features removable panels, offering a glimpse into the internal instruments and equipment, including the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS), Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS), Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), and Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS).

External details include communications antennas and two solar array wings, chosen to represent the latest version installed on the actual satellite. The model also incorporates elements like gyroscopes, guidance sensors, and even a Lego steering wheel to represent the capture mechanism for future servicing. Stickers and decals are used to depict vents, star trackers, and a plaque detailing Hubble's five space shuttle servicing missions.

Displaying some of Hubble's most iconic images, such as the "Pillars of Creation," the stand includes translucent parts representing famous nebulae and galaxies. The set, built to minifigure scale, comes with an astronaut minifigure, complete with an extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) spacesuit design, featuring NASA's celebratory logo for Hubble's first 35 years.