LEGO minifigures become real astronauts
Above:
Photo of Minifigs on the ISS.
© Roscosmos cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov
These little minifigures were custom-made to look identical to the current crew of the ISS, right down to the correct patches and buckles, presumably as an attempt to blend in seamlessly without arousing suspicion.
Sent by a colleague as a space¬faring gift over the New Year, the LEGO doppelgangers were privately commissioned and www.minifigs.me then recreated American astronaut Terry Virts, Italian Samantha Cristoforetti and Russian mission commander Anton Shkaplerov from photographs. However the team had no idea they would end up in space:
“I’ve always been a huge space nerd”, comments minifigs.me director Nick Savage. “I may never become an astronaut, but it’s amazing to think my little LEGO guys have. It’s wonderful to know that they’re up there right now, whizzing through space at over 17,000 mph. We’ve shipped all over the world before, but never off it.”
The three LEGO minifigures currently stand velcroed to the inside of the ISS, experiencing more than they could have ever imagined.
Minifigs.me is based in Sheffield, England. It creates highly detailed bespoke custom minifigures using LEGO pieces and them shipping them to customers across the globe. They have a selection of pre¬designed minifigures for sale but also create new figures for customers based on photographs and descriptions.
The company was formed in the summer of 2012 after husband and wife team Nick & Caroline Savage created figures to support British athletes during the Olympic and Paralympic games.
When the figures proved to be popular, Nick and Caroline left their jobs in marketing and scientific research to start Minifigs.me. The company has made minifigs for people from all walks of life ¬ from families at Christmas to A¬list celebrities and astronauts.
They work from their home workshop, surrounded by thousands of small plastic people and their baby daughter, Indiana. They intend for Minfigs.me to always be a small family company.
