Today LEGO has officially revealed the latest set based on real-life spacecraft with the LEGO Technic 42158 NASA Mars Rover Perseverance, a 1,132-piece model of the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab’s newest red planet vehicle, including its flying companion, the Ingenuity Helicopter. The 12.5-inch long model (32cm) features all-new wheel elements with working steering and articulated suspension, as well as with a moveable arm. Although the model is not motorized, there is a companion augmented reality (AR) app that can show the model on a Mars-like surface and allow users to check the weather on Mars or learn other facts about the fourth planet from the sun. The set will be available starting June 1 for US $99.99 | CAN $129.99 | UK £84.99.
42158 NASA Mars Rover Perseverance | 1,132 pieces | Available June 1 | US $99.99 | CAN $129.99 | UK £84.99
Here’s the full press release from LEGO.
Building The Engineers Of Tomorrow:
Space Themed LEGO® Technic™ Set Will Encourage Fans to Shoot For The Stars
BILLUND, DENMARK – May 23, 2023, 10:00 CEST: The LEGO Group has unveiled a new LEGO® Technic™ NASA Mars Rover Perseverance model, a STEM space themed product designed to encourage children to learn more about engineering.
Just two years ago, Perseverance landed on Mars and started its epic journey to seek signs of ancient life and collect samples from the mysterious red planet. This new LEGO Technic model of the rover allows builders aged 10+ to understand the awesome feats of engineering that make this vehicle so adept to Martian exploration and learn about how the rover’s features and functions work.
The LEGO Technic model features 360° steering and a movable arm, plus fully articulated suspension that lets the rover travel across uneven surfaces on all 6 wheels. And just like its real-life counterpart, the LEGO Technic model is joined by a replica mission companion Ingenuity Helicopter.
“Working on this model has been both challenging and exciting” said Luke Cragin, Designer at the LEGO Group. “I’ve always felt passionate about space, and the design process let me explore my interest as I recreated the incredible engineering developed by the pioneering team at NASA. We hope the model’s features and functions will help introduce young space lovers to the world of engineering and encourage them to reach for the stars in the future.”
The augmented reality app called Technic AR will give fans a holistic experience both physically and digitally. They will be able to discover exciting, educational content getting to know the real-life vehicle and its mission on Mars. Through the app it’s also possible to pull an overview of the weather on Mars on demand or learn about the environment and the rover’s mission.
The LEGO Technic NASA Mars Rover Perseverance is available from June 1st, 2023, on www.LEGO.com and in LEGO stores.
Product information (42158)
- Age: 10+
- Pieces: 1,132
- Measurements: Over 9 in. (23 cm) high, 12.5 in. (32 cm) long and 9 in. (23 cm) wide
Price: £84.99 / €89.99 / $99.99 / 899.0 CNY /1999.9 TRY / 39990.0 HUF / 129.99 CAD
The listing on LEGO’s website says August 1 in North America, June 1 in Europe and Australia.
I’m curious if those wheels/tires are dual-molded with a softer rubber tire, or perhaps two separate new elements entirely?
The real rivers tires are miller aluminum, so it wouldn’t be out of line for them to just be hard plastic, but one can hope!