Not in a galaxy far, far, far away, but at the world’s biggest LEGO Store in Sydney, hundreds of young space enthusiasts met with Australian astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg.
In her first public event since her return home, Katherine met with future space explorers and learned about their cosmic curiosity. The questions ranged from the curly – “have you seen an UFO?” – to the inquisitive, like “what should I study to become an astronaut?”
Visitors had travelled from near and far to hear about Katherine’s love of space and her journey to becoming the first qualified astronaut under the Australian flag.
The Agency and LEGO Australia partner for “The Space Generation"
Tuesday's meet and greet was a part of a new collaboration between the Australian Space Agency, Katherine and LEGO Australia to inspire the nation's “Space Generation”.
A new study found that space is almost every Australian child’s dream with a whopping 87 per cent interested in finding new planets, stars, and galaxies.
The research has also found seven in ten kids from “The Space Generation” want to go to space one day, while 75% of parents agree their kids are more likely to travel to space than previous generations.
The Australian Space Agency and LEGO Australia share a unified vision for exploration and discovery, and I believe that unlocking creativity through the medium of LEGO play will give Aussie kids the very best chance to pursue their passion and prepare them for the future.
~ Australian Astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg
New ESA LEGO Space Brick
LEGO brick builders can also blast off into the future with a new ESA LEGO Space Brick that was also unveiled at the event.
The latest LEGO Space Bricks were created with scientists at the European Space Agency (ESA) where Katherine completed astronaut training. They used dust from a 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite to 3D print bricks, which would not only support children's creativity and imagination, but are also being used to design launch pads and shelters for astronauts visiting the moon.
Why Space matters
Learn how space matters in our everyday lives – from keeping us healthy to inspiring us to go beyond the boundaries.