Denmark sent its first astronaut up toward the International Space Station (ISS) on board a Russian Soyuz rocket carrying two more crewmembers.
The Soyuz rocket took off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Wednesday and is slated to dock at the ISS early Friday morning, NASA stated in a news release. The first Dane in space, Andreas Mogensen also took 20 LEGO figures with him, as the building block toys originated in Denmark.
According to Reuters, the LEGOs have European Space Agency logos on them and their trip into space in coinciding with a renewed boost in sales of the toys. One of the most recognizable brands in the history of toys, LEGOs are coming around again thanks to the highly successful LEGO Movie.
Reuters quoted John Goodwin, LEGO's chief financial officer, telling the TV2 television station the company's recent successes are all due to the toy's classic, timeless brand. He said preserving that will be key.
"What we need to stay laser-focused on is to continue to innovate around the lego brick, creating super play experiences for children around the globe and continue to stay relevant as trends evolve," Goodwin said. "We had a great opportunity to partner with the ESA around this activity in order to bring awareness around science and technology into schools.
"We wish [Mogensen] well on this trip."
Joining Mogensen en route to fill up the ISS are a pair of cosmonauts named Aidyn Aimbetov, of Kazakhstan, and Sergey Volkov, of Russia. Volkov, the veteran of the group, reported shortly after launch he and his companions were "doing great, and everything is in order on board," CBS News reported. The spacecraft they dock at the ISS will eventually carry Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko back to Earth next March.
