Those of you who are still mourning the end of the space shuttle programme should take heart that while NASA is currently grounded, we in Europe still have the Right Stuff:

According to the video blurb, the Lego shuttle (model 3367) launched from central Germany on 31 December last year, and hit a heady 35,000m (114,800ft) before returning to Earth.

What's not clear is whether the vehicle was manned. Our own heroic Playmonaut reckons he would have liked a piece of this mission, since he's currently sitting twiddling his thumbs in anticipation of the Low Orbit Helium Assisted Navigator (LOHAN) launch. ®