Category Archives: Space Models

Space Models, Space participation

LEGO ISS replica supported for production model status

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A detailed model of the International Space Station was created by Christoph Ruge from LEGO bricks: LEGO Ideas – International Space Station.

The model has gotten the 10000 votes necessary for it to be considered as a LEGO production model for sale: Fan’s LEGO replica of International Space Station soars to 10,000 votes – collectSPACE.

The 10k votes, however, is necessary but not sufficient.

Ruge’s station is only the fourth model of a real spacecraft to qualify for review. Two earlier ideas, Japan’s Hayabusa asteroid sample probe and NASA’s Mars Curiosity Rover, entered production and were sold. The third, a fan-created version of the Hubble Space Telescope, was not approved by LEGO.

Astronomy, Space Models, Space participation

LEGO Hubble Telescope model misses selection for commercial production

Last summer I wrote about a LEGO scratch model of the Hubble Telescope, which could become an official production model by LEGO if it was popular enough. (See The Hubble observatory in LEGO.)  LEGO allows LEGO modelers to post about their creations on the LEGO Ideas site. Visitors can vote on the models they like best. Those models that exceed 10,000 votes will be considered for commercial production.

Gabriel Russo posted his impressive Hubble Telescope model at the LEGO Ideas site last year:

HubbleTelescopeLego-GRusso

It received the 10000 votes but Robert Pearlman reports that it was nevertheless not selected by LEGO : LEGO passes on fan-voted Hubble Space Telescope model – collectSPACE

LEGO on Wednesday (Feb. 4) revealed the outcome of its most recent review of fan-suggested model kits submitted through its LEGO Ideas website. The Danish toy company passed on making the Hubble telescope, selecting a Pixar animator’s WALL-E robot and a “Doctor Who” set instead.

“We reviewed eight amazing projects that reached 10,000 supporters between June and September,” Signe Lonholdt with the LEGO Ideas team said in a video announcing the results of the evaluation. “Reaching 10,000 supporters is a tremendous accomplishment, but the journey [for the sets] is far from over.”

Here were two previous posts about the HST model:

Space Models, Space Systems

Card model plans for NASA’s MMS spacecraft and Atlas V rocket

A NASA page provides plans for a paper card model of the four Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft: MMS EPO Card Model.

The page also includes detailed plans for an Atlas V rocket paper model.

The paper model plans come from Dr. Alfonso X Moreno, who runs the website at AXM Paper Space Scale Models and also the AXM Paper Models Blog.

Find more space paper modeling resources in the HobbySpace Modeling section.

Rockets, Space books, Space Models

SpaceShipTwo books, including a model kit, available soon

Virgin Galactic and DK publishing are collaborating on a set of activity books, with models and stickers, based around the theme of the SpaceShipTwo rocket vehicle and aimed at young people:

The first three of seven books total will be available in October: Virgin Galactic – DK.com

Space Models, Space participation

Precision Aerospace Replicas

Dave Gianakos, a long-time modeler of aerospace systems, tells me that he

is retiring from his “day job” as an airline pilot of 36 years and starting up a new modeling company called Precision Aerospace Replicas. He can build most any type of subject requested by the customer, in most any size, and at a reasonable price. He is currently doing  two large satellite projects for the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. He can also do a masterful job on plastic model kits and customizing them to the customer’s desired look.  Please take a look at his new website: http://precisionaerospacereplicas.com/

dave_gianakos_and-saturn-v-model

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Find more aerospace model info and links in the HobbySpace Modeling section.