The list of NASA's accomplishments is long and impressive, which is probably why one of its most remarkable feats is so often overlooked: the extreme cuteness of its scale models.
From lunar landers and rovers to satellites space stations, NASA's engineers built tiny replicas and concept representations that will melt your heart. Here are some of our favorites.
Apollo Lunar Lander 1963
The design for the Apollo lunar excursion module went through several stages, some cuter than others. The image above shows the lander at peak cuteness. Even without the miniature astronaut, fake moon rock and starry sky, this scale model would elicit motherly coos from space geeks. This concept was known as a "bug."