The Women of NASA project was created by Maia Weinstock, who is a science editor and writer, with a strong personal interest in space exploration as well as the history of women in science and engineering. Maia Weinstock explained the reasoning for the Women of NASA set this way:
Women have played critical roles throughout the history of the U.S. Space program, a.k.a. NASA or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Yet in may cases, their contributions are unknown or under-appreciated – especially as women have historically struggled to gain acceptance in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
The Women of NASA set includes five LEGO minifigures – each representing a notable NASA pioneer. The women represented are:
- Margaret Hamilton – Computer scientist who developed the on-board flight software for the Apollo missions to the moon.
- Katherine Johnson – Mathematician and space scientist known for calculating and verifying trajectories for the Mercury and Apollo programs – including the Apollo 11 mission that first landed humans on the moon.
- Sally Ride – Astronaut, physicist and educator who became the first American woman in space in 1983.
- Nancy Grace Roman – Astronomer who was one of the first female executives at NASA. She is called the “Mother of Hubble” for her role in planning the Hubble Space Telescope.
- Mae Jemison – Astronaut, physician, and entrepreneur who became the first African-American women in space in 1992.
LEGO is still working out the final product design, pricing and availability for the Women of NASA set. They recommend you check back on the LEGO Ideas blog in late 2017 or early 2018 for more details.