Lego “Astronaut” Reaches For Space

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A photograph of the lego man at peak altitude (Credits: Mathew Ho and Asad Muhammad).

In another DIY success story, two Toronto high schoolers have succeeded in launching a would be lego “astronaut” into the stratosphere on a weather balloon. The flight, which reached a height of 24km before the balloon burst, was recorded in the video below. Some are calling it the most visible Canadian space presence since Canadarm.

 Mathew Ho and Asad Muhammad, both 17 years old, spent 4 months and $400 making the contraption. It included 4 cameras and a cell phone with a GPS application packed into a styrofoam box with mitten warmers for insulation, and a homemade parachute, not to mention the flag-carrying lego man mounted on top. “We didn’t really believe we could do it until we did,” said Ho. 

See the full story as first reported in the Toronto Star.

Merryl Azriel

Merryl is Managing Editor of Space Safety Magazine and Vice President of Public Affairs for the International Space Safety Foundation. A Chemical Engineer and graduate of the International Space University with a Masters in Space Studies, Merryl is committed to the advancement of manned exploration and utilization of space resources.

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