Stuff We Want: Metal Earth Mars Rover Perseverance, Record-Breaking Road Trip Not Included
"Perseverance" searches are climbing on Google Trends. Build the rover with tweezers instead of a launch.
#ad. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Hand-picked by The Deez List. Disclosure
"Perseverance" is climbing on Google Trends this morning. NASA says its Perseverance Mars rover now holds the record for the farthest anyone has driven on another world: 28.10 miles as of October 11, passing Opportunity. And on October 27, NASA published new findings from the rover on the ultrafine dust that clings to spacesuit materials.
Meanwhile, your car's check-engine light came on in the Target parking lot.
You can't drive on Mars. But you can build the thing that does. The Metal Earth Mars Rover Perseverance & Ingenuity Helicopter kit is a 3D metal model of the rover and its little helicopter sidekick, at 1:30 scale.
It comes flat. Steel sheets in an envelope, plus illustrated instructions. You clip the pieces off the sheets and connect them with tabs and holes. No glue, no solder.
The listing calls it a 4.5-sheet model with a challenging difficulty level, and recommends tweezers for bending and twisting the tabs. So this is less "Saturday with the kids" and more "Tuesday night with a podcast and steady hands." It's rated for ages 14 and up.
Built, the rover measures about 4.92 x 3.54 x 2.95 inches. The Ingenuity helicopter is about 1.02 x 1.30 x 0.79 inches, small enough to lose in your keyboard if you're not careful.
It's the kind of desk piece that makes people ask "wait, you built that?" And yes. Yes, you did. Took you three evenings and one tweezer meltdown.
Who it's for
- Space fans who follow every rover update NASA posts.
- Model builders who want a challenge that doesn't involve glue fumes.
- Gift shoppers shopping for the teen or adult who has every space poster already.
Who should skip it
- Young kids. It's rated 14+, and the parts are small.
- You hate fiddly work. Bending tiny metal tabs takes patience.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Rover plus the Ingenuity helicopter in one kit.
- No glue or solder needed.
- 1:30 scale with detailed etched steel parts.
- Small enough for a desk or shelf.
Cons
- Challenging difficulty.
- Tweezers recommended, and not mentioned as included.
Pros and cons are our read of the features on the listing, not a hands-on test.
How it compares
Vs. the Metal Earth SpaceX Falcon 9: same steel-sheet build style. One's the rocket, this one's what's waiting at the other end.
Vs. the ROKR Space Shuttle: a wooden space build with moving parts. This one is etched steel.
Want the real thing in view? The Dwarf Mini smart telescope lets you point at Mars yourself.
For the bedroom ceiling: the astronaut galaxy projector puts the stars overhead.
Want a real space rock? The Dancing Bear Campo del Cielo meteorite is an actual iron meteorite in a display case.
FAQ
Do you need glue to build the Metal Earth Perseverance kit?
No. The parts connect with tabs and holes, with no glue or solder.
How hard is it?
The listing calls it challenging, with 4.5 sheets. Tweezers are recommended.
How big is the finished rover?
About 4.92 x 3.54 x 2.95 inches, at 1:30 scale.
Does it include the Ingenuity helicopter?
Yes. The helicopter is part of the kit.
The verdict
The verdict: hand-picked for Perseverance's record week. A Mars rover on your desk, built by you, no launch window required.
#ad. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Hand-picked by The Deez List.
