Lego will release a set of five female Nasa scientists, engineers and astronauts based on real women who have worked for the space agency.

Maia Weinstock, an American science writer who created @legoNASAwomen, tweeted the good news on Tuesday.

Thrilled to finally share: @LegoNASAWomen has passed the @LEGOIdeas Review and will soon be a real LEGO set! https://t.co/rcyjANsVD9 pic.twitter.com/b9OVx5UBaL — Maia Weinstock (@20tauri) February 28, 2017

Weinstock submitted the set to the Lego Ideas review after it gained 10,000 votes of support from the public. The news that it had won was a “dream come true” she said.

Her design beat stiff competition from 11 other entrants, including plans for a Large Hadron Collider made out of Lego.

Nasa’s Hubble account tweeted that the Women in Nasa set would be available by late 2017 or early 2018.

UPDATE: The @WomenNASA set has been approved by LEGO and will be available in late 2017 or early 2018! https://t.co/LnrgNSJj3P — Hubble (@NASA_Hubble) February 28, 2017

Lego Ideas competitions take place twice a year, with one or two fan suggestions eventually going into production.

Lego Ideas spokeswoman Lise Dydensborg announced the result in a video, saying Lego chose the Women of Nasa set because of its inspirational value.



“As a science editor and writer, with a strong personal interest for space exploration as well as the history of women in science and engineering, Maia Weinstock’s Women of Nasa project was a way for her to celebrate accomplished women in the Stem professions,” she said.

“In particular those who’ve made a big impact through their work at Nasa.”

The announcement comes after the stories of black Nasa scientists Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson were told in the acclaimed Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures.

Johnson, who appeared at the Oscars ceremony on Sunday, is one of the five new Lego figures. The others are computer scientist Margaret Hamilton; astronaut, physicist and educator Sally Ride; astronomer Nancy Grace Roman; and astronaut and physician Mae Jemison.

Fans rejoiced at the news on social media.

About freaking time. Children (girls & boys) need to see that a women's place is wherever the hell she chooses it to be. https://t.co/abiPv7U0n8 — mildly facetious (@cadmus_photo) February 28, 2017