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.

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Merryl Azriel

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Having wandered into professional writing and editing after a decade in engineering, science, and management, Merryl now enjoys reintegrating the dichotomy by bringing space technology and policy within reach of an interested public. After three years as Space Safety Magazine’s Managing Editor, Merryl semi-retired to Visiting Contributor and manager of the campaign to bring the International Space Station collaboration to the attention of the Nobel Peace Prize committee. She keeps her pencil sharp as Proposal Manager for U.S. government contractor CSRA.

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