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EDIT:  These figures reached Jupiter yesterday for a one year orbit so I thought I would repost this article from 2014.  Also, I have been told by one of the people that worked on this project that a second set of these figures exists and that they are put on display from time to time.  🙂  See the details below!

Also..  I am waiting for someone to make a clone of these.  Hint Hint!

A few people have been asking about this figure and why it is valued at 2.2 Billion dollars.  I say that I think it is a little low at 2 billion and I will explain below.  🙂    Here are some details about these three figures from the original news article that NASA put out on August 3rd 2011.

This figure set of three tops the list of the 100 Most Valuable Minifigures of all time.

The three figures included in the set are

• The Roman God Jupiter
• Jupiter’s wife Juno
• Galileo Galilei – “The father of science”

http://www.minifigpriceguide.com/Top100LegoMinifigures.html

“NASA’s Jupiter-bound Juno spacecraft will carry the 1.5-inch likeness of Galileo Galilei, the Roman god Jupiter and his wife Juno to Jupiter when the spacecraft launches this Friday, Aug. 5 2011.  The inclusion of the three mini-statues, or figurines, is part of a joint outreach and educational program developed as part of the partnership between NASA and the LEGO Group to inspire children to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”

I was recently contacted as a result of this post by a former Lego employee that worked on developing these figures with Nasa.  Here is what he had to say.

“ Having been directly involved in the creation of these 3 figures (actually, a fourth one was made, but it got turned down by NASA), I am deeply honored to see them on the top 100 list of minifigures!

Actually, another pair of the three figures exist.. As back-up… And they are indeed unique, as the bolts of lightning in Jupiter’s hand and the telescope and Jupiter ball in Galileo’s hands were specially made for this special event.”

WAIT!  Did he just say another set exists?  Where is lego stashing these?  Are they in a museum somewhere?  Does anyone know?  Let me know if you have seen them anywhere.

Here is the link to the original article.  Nasa Article

Here is a link of a copy of the Lego Press release that is posted here.  I made a copy because these things keep disappearing.

I did some research on what it would cost to go to Jupiter and pick them up, and it looks like it would be about 2.2 Billion.  And that is assuming that you could intercept the space ship and retrieve the figure safely and then return home.  All of these would add to the budget and I have not accounted for them.  Finally, you need to get it all done before the craft crash lands in 2017!

According to Fox News in this article ( Fox News Article ) The figures are supposed to made out of Space Grade Aluminum and cost about $5000 each to produce.    The figures will be mounted in the spaceship in the same way that Nasa has Mounted the other surgical instruments that will be used on the mission.  They have also been placed under Thermal blankets.

Someone should create a lego ideas project to recreate these three figures.  I think that would be a great set!

The spaceship will also include this plaque.  The plaque has a self portrait of Galileo and includes the following text.

Text from the Plaque

“On the 11th it was in this formation — and the star closest to Jupiter was half the size than the other and very close to the other so that during the previous nights all of the three observed stars looked of the same dimension and among them equally afar; so that it is evident that around Jupiter there are three moving stars invisible till this time to everyone.”

Here is the current status for the Juno spacecraft.  It is supposed arrive at Jupiter in July 2016.  After having traveled over 2.8 million miles.    It will then orbit Jupiter for a year.  Probably sending back all sort of useful information.   It will then intentionally crash land into the giant gas planet sometime in July of 2017.

Juno Current Status

What is Juno supposed to do?

Juno’s main goal is to understand the origin and evolution of Jupiter. The solar-powered probe — its three tractor trailer-size solar panels the first to power a spacecraft so far from the Sun — will map the planet’s gravity and magnetic fields to learn what Jupiter’s interior structure is like. Juno’s color camera will provide close-up images of Jupiter, including the first detailed glimpse of the planet’s poles.

In addition to expanding scientists’ knowledge about the solar system’s largest planet, Juno’s investigations will provide clues about what conditions were like in the early solar system when Jupiter was forming. Knowing more about Jupiter’s origins and how it evolved will also help scientists better understand the many planetary systems being discovered around other stars.

Thanks for looking

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