'Women of NASA' LEGO set to feature 'Hidden Figures' inspiration

WASHINGTON (Sinclair Broadcast Group) — LEGO has announced a new “Women of NASA” playset featuring female scientists and astronauts, including Katherine Johnson, whose story was told in the Oscar-nominated film “Hidden Figures.”

LEGO revealed Tuesday that the LEGO Review Board has selected the fan-created design as part of its second “LEGO Ideas” review for 2016. Final design, pricing and release date have not been determined.

The proposed set includes Johnson, played by Taraji P. Henson in the film, software engineer Margaret Hamilton, first American woman in space Sally Ride, first female NASA executive Nancy Grace Roman, and first African-American woman in space Mae Jemison.

“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,” designer Maia Weinstock wrote in her pitch, which attracted more than 10,000 supporters. “Yet in many 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).”

"Everything is AWESOME!" Weinstock tweeted from the @LegoNASAWomen account after the announcement Tuesday.

“We’re really excited to be able to introduce Maia’s Women of NASA set for its inspirational value as well as build and play experience,” LEGO Community Specialist Hasan Jensen wrote in a blog post.

Social media users, including "Star Trek" star George Takei and the Sally Ride Society, applauded the decision.

Rejected pitches from this round of LEGO Ideas reviews include “Spaceballs,” the “Addams Family” mansion, a “Star Wars” landspeeder, and a large hadron collider. A decision has not yet been made on a proposed Voltron set.