Lego Will Release Tribute Lunar Lander Set Ahead of Apollo 11 Anniversary

The 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission that landed the first two humans is coming up on July 16. NASA as well as scientific organisations all over the world are preparing to celebrate this massive milestone with a range of activities.

The Danish toy company, Lego, is also ready to capitalize on the achievement by launching a Lunar Lander set. The all-new Apollo 11 set was created as a collaboration between Lego and NASA and will be released on June 1. 

The Eagle has landed! Creator Expert Lunar Lander is available on June 1. pic.twitter.com/k4pXEURFmg

— LEGO (@LEGO_Group) May 30, 2019

It features a replica Eagle lander, two astronauts, a crater and a flag. All key figures in the real moon landing. LEGO nerds will be excited to note the use of new gold-colored bricks to augment their existing collections.

If life on the ground is more your thing, LEGO, has you covered with a new launch control set. The set contains an actual mission control area, an astronaut-delivery railcar and a convincing rocket that bear similarities to the Space Launch System.

SEE ALSO: LEGO MASTER BUILDER: 9 OF THE COOLEST THINGS CREATED BY LEGO

Women in space

Lego has been under the spotlight in recent years as it appeared to be increasing an already problematic gender divide between children by marketing aggressively to each sex. Action and space for boys; domestic bliss for girls.

The toymaker seems to have taken some of the criticism to heed and managed to launch some more gender non-specific advertising campaigns as well as releasing a series of special editions that focused on celebrating women’s scientific achievements.

Last year, Lego released a series that celebrated some of NASA's most important figures the "Women of NASA" series, that include Sally Ride, Mae Jemison, Nancy Grace Roman, and Margaret Hamilton.

The fan-proposed and fan-supported idea includes these pioneering individuals in miniature form and celebrate their successes.

Key NASA figures

The series highlighted the achievements of Mae Jemison, who, in 1992 became the first African American woman to fly in space. She logged nearly eight days on the Endeavour space shuttle.

She served as an astronaut from 1987 to 1993. Jemison is both a physician and an engineer, in addition to being a linguist and passionate student of the humanities. Jemison now leads the 100 Year Starship project.

Sally Ride is also an astronaut being celebrated by NASA and Lego. Ride became the first American woman to fly in space in 1983. She put in two weeks orbiting Earth through two separate shuttle missions. She also served as a physicist. Today, she advocates for girls entering the STEM fields and for better science education.

Both Jemison and Ride are featured in the flight outfits they used for their specific launches. Their mini-figures also come with a 4-inch (12 centimeter) model of their respective shuttles.