Lego Spaceship Soars 114,790 Feet, Sets World Record

A tiny Lego spaceship just achieved what most toys only dream about: it flew 114,790 feet into the stratosphere and came back to tell the tale.

The record-breaking flight happened on March 20 in Gwynedd County, United Kingdom, when a high-altitude balloon carried a specially built Lego set higher than any Lego has flown before. The build recreates the spacecraft from "Project Hail Mary," the blockbuster film starring Ryan Gosling that's already earned over $500 million at the box office.

The 830-piece set includes minifigures of astronaut Ryland Grace and his alien friend Rocky, who presumably celebrated with their signature fist bump at peak altitude. Sony Pictures UK partnered with Sent Into Space, a company specializing in stratospheric launches, to pull off the impressive feat.

While the balloon didn't quite reach outer space (that officially starts at 62 miles up), the flight still soared more than 21 miles above Earth. That's three times higher than commercial airplanes fly and well into the stratosphere where the sky turns dark.

"Every one of our projects is an exciting undertaking, but getting the chance to incorporate a Lego build into the spacecraft development process made this one a whole heap of fun for the entire team," said Chris Rose, Sent Into Space's head of projects.

The Guinness World Records made it official on April 21, presenting film directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller with their certificate in Las Vegas. The timing couldn't be better, as the film just celebrated its one-month anniversary in theaters.

The Ripple Effect

This playful record connects to something bigger than just marketing. The film received support from NASA during development, and Artemis 2 astronauts even watched it privately during quarantine before their historic moon mission last month. Some of the movie's phrases, including the famous "amaze, amaze, amaze," were heard during actual mission communications.

The Lego set, marketed to adults 18 and up, includes the spacecraft with its simulated gravity system and a display stand for Earth-bound admirers.

From blockbuster screens to the edge of space, this little Lego ship proves that sometimes the sky isn't the limit.

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