Pioneering women of NASA celebrated with new Lego set

A Lego set that celebrates the contributions of NASA’s female pioneers will soon be available for children who dream of space and are interested in STEM fields.

Lego has announced that “Women of NASA” — a set featuring women who played important roles in the U.S. space program — will be developed. The proposed set, the final design of which is not yet available, includes figurines of Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, and Katherine Johnson, who was portrayed by Taraji P. Henson in “Hidden Figures.” That’s according to the project’s Lego Ideas page, which begins: “Ladies rock outer space!”

According to CNN, the Women of NASA set was created as part of Lego Ideas, which allows fans and users to come up with ideas for Lego sets. This project was created by Maia Weinstock, a science editor and writer at MIT News.

“We’re really excited to be able to introduce Maia’s Women of NASA set for its inspirational value as well as build and play experience,” a Lego Ideas post states.

The proposed lineup also includes:

• Nancy Grace Roman: Also known as “Mother of Hubble,” a nickname she earned for her role in the Hubble Space Telescope

• Mae Jemison: The first African-American woman in space

• Margaret Hamilton: A pioneering computer scientist.

It is unclear when the Women of NASA set will be available in stores.