Quantcast
ZME Science
  • CoronavirusNEW
  • News
  • Environment
    • Climate
    • Animals
    • Renewable Energy
    • Eco tips
    • Environmental Issues
    • Green Living
  • Health
    • Alternative Medicine
    • Anatomy
    • Diseases
    • Genetics
    • Mind & Brain
    • Nutrition
  • Future
  • Space
  • Feature
    • Feature Post
    • Art
    • Great Pics
    • Design
    • Fossil Friday
    • AstroPicture
    • GeoPicture
    • Did you know?
    • Offbeat
  • More
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
Home Other

17-year old teens send LEGO man into space

Tibi Puiu by Tibi Puiu
January 27, 2012
in Other, Space, Videos

Canadian duo, Mathew Ho and Asad Muhammad, both only 17 years old, have managed to put the infamous Lego man, attached with the Canadian flag, into space. They managed to achieve this with extremely limited resources, using items bought off craiglist, and unlimited ingenuity.

The plastic figurine was attached to a styrofoam box, which also contained a camera which documented the whole event , as well as a GPS tracking device – the box itself was carried away by a helium balloon, which the boys built themselves in their spare Saturdays for the past four months. The balloon, ascended some 24km into the upper atmosphere from where the Earth’s curvature can be seen. The two managed to recover the bundle attached to a hand-stitched parachute from a field 122km from the launch site. Coincidentally, earlier today before I had heard of the Canadian teens accomplishment, I was reading a piece on Scientific American which debated whether a balloon could fly into outer space, and head towards distant galaxies.

Check out the video documenting the experience below. By the way, is that the International Space Station at 1:02?

ADVERTISEMENT

Astrophysics professor Dr Michael Reid, from the University of Toronto, praised the boys, saying: “It shows a tremendous degree of resourcefulness. For two 17-year-olds to accomplish this on their own is pretty impressive.”

Get more science news like this...

Join the ZME newsletter for amazing science news, features, and exclusive scoops. More than 40,000 subscribers can't be wrong.

   

Lego sent a note of congratulations. “We are always amazed by the creative ways in which Lego fans use our products, and humbled by how many unsuspecting places we appear, like attached to a helium balloon in … space,” said the company’s brand relations director, Michael McNally.

ADVERTISEMENT

Their feat is nothing short of spectacular, and gives to show that incredible things can happen when you put your heart and mind to it. Since the event took place, Ho and Asad have become super stars in their home country, as their story circulated all over the web and various news outlets in the world. Still, the hype is definitely well deserved. Share this story with your friends.

Tibi Puiu

Tibi Puiu

Tibi is a science journalist and co-founder of ZME Science. He writes mainly about emerging tech, physics, climate, and space. In his spare time, Tibi likes to make weird music on his computer and groom felines.

Follow ZME on social media

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Coronavirus
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Feature
  • More

© 2007-2019 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Coronavirus
  • News
  • Environment
    • Climate
    • Animals
    • Renewable Energy
    • Eco tips
    • Environmental Issues
    • Green Living
  • Health
    • Alternative Medicine
    • Anatomy
    • Diseases
    • Genetics
    • Mind & Brain
    • Nutrition
  • Future
  • Space
  • Feature
    • Feature Post
    • Art
    • Great Pics
    • Design
    • Fossil Friday
    • AstroPicture
    • GeoPicture
    • Did you know?
    • Offbeat
  • More
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2019 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.