Lego has released a new set commemorating Nasa's Artemis II mission, which recently saw four astronauts complete a lunar flyby. The crew are due to splash down in the Pacific Ocean within 24 hours, having travelled 252,756 miles from Earth—a record for human spaceflight, surpassing Apollo 13's 1970 mission.
The Artemis II mission marks the furthest humans have travelled in over half a century, laying groundwork for returning people to the lunar surface by 2028 with Artemis IV. Nasa aims to establish a long-term presence at a moon base near the south pole, where ice deposits could provide water and oxygen.
Lego's highly detailed model replicates the Artemis I launch system, including a multi-stage rocket with two solid fuel boosters, an Orion capsule, and a mobile launch tower. A more affordable Lego Technic version educates children on rocket separation in three stages, complete with four astronaut minifigures and blue flame details.
The set aims to inspire a new generation of space enthusiasts, following the crew's regular video updates from orbit, including captain Reid Wiseman naming a lunar crater after his late wife Carroll.
