Best Lego space sets 2024: NASA sets, spaceships and more
Conquer the final frontier with the best Lego space sets. Whether you’re a veteran explorer or an astronaut in training, Lego has some fantastic sets for both display and play. There are kids playsets inspired by real rockets, sci-fi designs from our near and distant future, and even a bunch of sets based on official NASA spacecraft.
Lego has been making space-themed sets since 1968 when it debuted its first space rocket set. That was quite a simple build, but things have come a long way since then. Nowadays, you can find space sets with intricate designs made up of thousands of pieces. Official NASA sets like the Space Shuttle Discovery look simply stunning and are packed with details and hidden easter eggs.
Exploring the Lego space range is an adventure in itself, so we’ve built this guide to the best Lego Space sets, showcasing our favorite models in the current range. We’ve picked some huge display sets for adults, affordable playsets for kids and everything in between. Some of the larger sets can be quite pricey, so check out our space Lego deals page if you want to get a bargain.
If you’d prefer to leave our solar system behind and travel to a galaxy far, far away then we’ve also got a guide to the best Lego Star Wars sets, along with a corresponding Lego Star Wars deals page for fans who want to save their credits. We’ve found that the Jedi mind trick doesn’t seem to work on Lego store staff.
The quick list
Lego NASA Space Shuttle Discovery
Not only does this epic set let you recreate your very own scale model of the Space Shuttle Discovery, it also comes with a Hubble Telescope.
Price: $199.99 / £169.99
Model number: 10283
Number of pieces: 2,354
Lego NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Lander
The Lunar Lander might be a little fiddly to build, but there’s no denying that this Apollo 11 replica is a sight to behold.
Price: $99.99 / £89.99
Model number: 10266
Number of pieces: 1,087
Lego Creator Space Astronaut
This fantastic-looking astronaut figure has poseable limps and a display stand — and being a Creator 3-in-1 set, it can be turned into a space dog or a shuttle too.
Price: $54.99/£44.99
Model number: 31152
Number of pieces: 647
Lego Icons Galaxy Explorer
It might not be a realistic space craft, but the Galaxy Explorer is an important piece of Lego history: it’s a recreation of a classic Space set from the ’70s.
Price: $99.99 / £89.99
Model number: 10497
Number of pieces: 1,254
Lego Ideas Tales of the Space Age
Something a little different, Tales of the Space Age features four colorful and vibrant dioramas that can be wall mounted.
Price: $49.99 / £44.99
Model number: 21349
Number of pieces: 688
Lego City Modular Space Station
This is undoubtedly one of the best Lego space playsets out there, creating a space station that can be swapped and changed during play. It’s pricey, but you’re getting a lot for your money.
Price: $109.99 / £89.99
Model number: 60433
Number of pieces: 1,097
Lego Technic NASA Mars Rover Perseverance
Based on the actual NASA Perseverance rover, this Technic model features steering functions, movable arms and wheels that can travel across uneven surfaces.
Price: $99.99 / £84.99
Model number: 42158
Number of pieces: 1,132
Lego Technic Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit
A gear system allows you to turn a crank and watch the Earth realistically orbit the Sun. It’s a great set for teaching kids about the solar system.
Price: $74.99 / £69.99
Model number: 42179
Number of pieces: 526
Lego Duplo 3 in 1 Space Shuttle Adventure
Aimed at the tiniest builders aged 2 and up, this colorful and fun space shuttle can be built in three different ways, designed to promote learning through play.
Price: $59.99 / £59.99
Model number: 10422
Number of pieces: 58
NASA Space Shuttle Discovery
Buy it if:
✅ You’re a NASA fan: It’s a realistic replica of the actual Discovery shuttle, which is neat.
✅ You have plenty of display space: This isn’t a small set, so you’ll need plenty of shelving space to properly show it off.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You’re on a budget: At $200, this is one of the most expensive Lego Space sets out there, so it’s for serious collectors/Lego fans only.
The bottom line:
🔎 Space Shuttle Discovery: The finished model is a wonder to behold, but it’s also a joy to build too. It’s big and expensive, but well worth the cost. ★★★★½
If you’re a space fan, then there’s no denying that the Lego NASA Space Shuttle Discovery is one of the best Lego space sets you can get your hands on right now. It’s an authentic recreation of NASA’s real Discovery shuttle, featuring realistic elements such as an opening payload bay, retractable landing gear, and five seats for the crew.
There’s also a model of the Hubble Telescope which, if you don’t want it out on display, it can be stowed away inside the shuttle’s payload bay: A really neat touch, and one of our favorite things about the set.
There are a few downsides: The model uses a lot of stickers which can occasionally detract from the finished build (although a few do admittedly add some nice details). And there’s also no minifigures, but that’s understandable given the scale of the ship.
It’s a little pricey, but we think it’s absolutely worth it for what you’re getting here. The cost means you might want to leave this one on display, however, rather than letting smaller hands play with it.
NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Lander
Buy it if:
✅ You like detailed builds: There are some tricky bits to the build, so you’ll need patient hands.
✅ You like minifigures: This is one of only a handful of Lego space sets targeted at adults that come with minifigures (and they’re NASA-branded!).
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want a playset: The Lunar Lander is pretty flimsy, so we wouldn’t recommend playing around with it.
The bottom line:
🔎 Apollo 11 Lunar Lander: This is a novel set due to the fact it’s based on the actual Apollo 11 Lunar Lander. It’s a shame it’s a bit fragile, but it’s well worth picking up at a discount. ★★★
For any space fan, this replica Apollo 11 Lunar Lander is instantly recognizable. Lego has spared almost no detail in bringing it to life, looking as close to the real thing as a set of plastic bricks could possibly allow.
The result is a wonderful display piece, capturing the moment that humans stepped on the moon back in 1969 brilliantly. The lander itself is expertly crafted, although the intricacy of the model means there are a few fiddly parts. It’s also a little disappointing that some of the decorations — like the golden paneling along the sides of the Lunar Lander — are stickers rather than printed bricks.
We also wouldn’t recommend using this as a playset. It’s a little fragile, so moving it around isn’t the best idea: Keep it safely on display where it won’t get knocked or damaged!
It might not be the biggest or most awe-inspiring Lego space set on the market, but thanks to its iconic subject matter, we think most Lego space fans will love having this in their collection.
Space Astronaut
Buy it if:
✅ You want a fun set: This is a seriously playful set while still looking fairly realistic.
✅ You like value for money: Three builds in one for $54.99? Sign us up!
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want something complex: Aimed at ages 9+, ths Space Astronaut is fairly simple to build compared to some other sets.
The bottom line:
🔎 Space Astronaut: The alternative build space dog and shuttle are only OK, but they’re just bonuses anyway: The focus is the poseable astronaut, who is simply magnificent. ★★★★★
This Lego Creator 3-in-1 set is an absolute must for any space fan. It’s one of the best space sets Lego has ever come out with, if we could be so bold to say that. It stands fairly tall at 10.5 inches, and with an included display stand, it looks absolutely fantastic on your desk or shelf.
What makes this astronaut truly stand out, though, is just how poseable he is. You can move his legs, feet and arms to pose him however you like — and you can even move his fingers, giving him various gestures to show how he might be feeling. A very cool touch.
Being a 3-in-1 set, there’s more than just the astronaut included here. Take it apart and you can also build a rather cute space dog, and an average-looking space shuttle. They’re both smaller than the astronaut and while they might be fun to build, the astronaut is undoubtedly the star of the set.
Galaxy Explorer
Buy it if:
✅ You fondly remember classic Lego Space: The Galaxy Explorer is a remake of an older Lego set, so it’s absolutely brimming with nostalgia.
✅ You want a fun build: We had a great time putting this set together thanks to some clever design techniques.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want a realistic space set: A NASA set this is not: This is all about fun, so if you want something realistic, look elsewhere.
The bottom line:
🔎 Galaxy Explorer: Fun and nostalgic by the bucketload, we love the Lego Icons Galaxy Explorer. It’s a fantastic build, but even better to look at when it’s finished. ★★★★★
The Lego Icons Galaxy Explorer is something rather special, and you’ll particularly like it if you’re old enough to remember the original Lego Space range from the seventies. You see, this is a recreation of one of Lego’s earlier space sets — the Galaxy Explorer from 1979.
If you’re not old enough, don’t worry. You’ll still love the funky design of this set, and the fact it’s so fun to build helps too. There are some seriously cool building techniques utilized here which makes putting it together an absolute joy. And if you’ve seen the LEGO Movie, you might even recognize it as the inspiration behind Benny’s Spaceship.
As fun as it is to build, though, we love having the Galaxy Explorer on display. Every time we look at it, it fills us with warm and fuzzy nostalgia — the colorful spacemen minifigures help with that too.
Bigger and more detailed than the original, Lego Icons Galaxy Explorer is undoubtedly a must-have for any Lego collector and Lego space fan. It’s been created to celebrate Lego’s 90th anniversary, and so we have a feeling it won’t be around forever.
It’s one we’re certainly proud to have in our own collections, that’s for sure.
Tales of the Space Age
Buy it if:
✅ You want something a little different: This isn’t your typical Lego space set, but that’s why we love it.
✅ You want to hang it on the wall: We’re all for Lego that can be displayed on the wall. More of this please, Lego.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want something complex: Tales of the Space Age didn’t take very long to build, so it’s not something you can sink your teeth into.
The bottom line:
🔎Tales of the Space Age: Colorful and fun, this set offers up the best that Lego Ideas has to offer. It’s a little too simple to build, perhaps, but looks great on display. ★★★★
From the Lego Ideas range, the Tales of the Space Age set allows you to build four separate dioramas, each depicting a space event. There’s a rocket launch, a moon base and lunar eclipse, a comet, and a black hole.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Lego Ideas range, it’s a scheme that allows any Lego fan to submit their ideas to be made into real sets. Ultimately, Tales of the Space Age received 10,000 votes and was cleared by the official Lego council before being made into a real set, beating hundreds of other potential sets in the process.
Perhaps our favorite thing about Lego Ideas Tales of the Space Age is that each of the four images can be hung on the wall. You can choose to display them separately, but we think they look better all next to each other. We love Lego that can be hung on the wall when display space is so precious!
The only negative we can say about this set is that it’s perhaps a little too simple to build for an 18+ set. If you like something more challenging to put together, we’d suggest you choose a different set. But with this having four separate pieces, it at least means the whole family can be involved in building it.
Modular Space Station
Buy it if:
✅ Fun is priority: There’s so much fun and creativity to be had with this set.
✅ You’re young, or young at heart: As a playset, it’s been designed with kids in mind.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You’re on a budget: Even though it’s a sizeable set, this is a pricey playset so you might want to look for something cheaper.
The bottom line:
🔎 Modular Space Station: Designed with kids in mind, there’s so much to do and play with on the Lego Modular Space Station. It fuels creativity, and we love that — even if it’s not exactly realistic. ★★★★
A new set for 2024, the Lego City Modular Space Station has been built with kids in mind. Yes, at $109.99, it’s very pricey for a playset but you’re getting a lot for your money. It’s made up of 1,097 pieces, comes with six minifigures, and can be configured in multiple different ways.
The Modular Space Station is built around a “space ring”, which essentially acts as an anchor for eight different modulars. There’s a bedroom, a kitchen, a workshop, a lab and more — and kids can remove these and reposition them however they want.
What’s particularly fun (but very unrealistic) is that the pods can be removed from the Space Station and assembled into a train. Oh yes, this set can have your kids chugging a train through space.
While it might not teach youngsters much about life aboard a real space station, it does encourage creativity and imaginative play, and that’s perhaps what we love most about Lego playsets. It’s surprisingly big too, measuring over 15 inches across when built, so you at least feel like you’re getting your money’s worth.
NASA Mars Rover Perseverance
Buy it if:
✅ You want a challenging build: Technic is much more complex than standard “system” Lego, so this will be a tough (but fun) build.
✅ You value realism: This is based on the real Perseverance rover and includes lots of realistic details.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You’re a novice: Although Lego’s age rating is 10+, we wouldn’t recommend jumping into this unless you’re already well-versed with Technic builds.
The bottom line:
🔎 NASA Mars Rover Perseverance: There are lots of realistic features in this Technic build, making it feel like an accurate representation of the real thing. The build is tough, but it’s well worth it. ★★★★½
The Lego NASA Mars Rover Perseverance is the only pure Technic model on our list, and building these sets is quite a different experience from your typical Lego sets. They tend to forgo typical Lego bricks in favour of more complicated linkages and connections. The extra challenge is worth it though, because these more technical aspects allow for working systems, cogs that control steering, real suspension and all kinds of other things.
The Lego Technic NASA Mars Rover Perseverance is no different. Made up of 1,132 pieces, it’s packed with lots of features that make it feel like a genuine replica of the real thing. It has articulated suspension, for example, which means it’s built to move over uneven surfaces. And there’s manually controlled 360-degree steering and even a moveable arm.
Putting the Perseverance Mars Rover together can be a bit of a challenge if you’re new to Technic Lego, and there are a lot of stickers to attach too, but we think the challenge is part of the fun, and the reward is well worth the effort because this is such a gorgeous set. It straddles the line between display piece and playset perfectly, making it suitable for all ages.
There’s also a dedicated AR app you can download on your phone. Point your camera towards NASA Mars Rover Perseverance and it’ll bring the set to life — along with providing some neat details about the real Perseverance’s mission.
Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit
Buy it if:
✅ You want something educational: With a rotation system in place, this shows kids exactly how the Earth rotates around the Sun.
✅ You like challenging builds: With lots of cogs and working parts, this is a build to test your skills.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want a display piece: As cool as it is, this isn’t the nicest set to look at.
The bottom line:
🔎 Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit: This is a seriously neat idea, and perhaps one of the most original Technic models we’ve ever seen. It’s a little ugly, but its mechanism is second to none. ★★★★
We’re not sure we’ve ever seen a Lego Technic model quite as unique as Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit. Made up of 526 pieces, it mimics the Earth’s orbit of the Sun, and the Moon’s orbit of Earth.
It’s not battery-powered: Instead, you spin a crank which will set the model in motion. It’s seriously cool, and it’s a novel way to teach youngsters about the solar system and how the planets move.
Lego markets this as a 10+ set and while we think kids even younger than that will absolutely love seeing it in motion, it might take much older, more experienced builders to successfully put this together. With a lot of cogs and working parts, it’s easy to go wrong — but when you do get everything aligned, it’s fantastic.
Our only negative? The set isn’t much to look at. With much of the Technic mechanisms there for all to see, it’s hardly the nicest model to have on display. But thankfully, its working parts trump that: This is an educational tool first and foremost, rather than the type of set you have out on show.
3 in 1 Space Shuttle Adventure
Buy it if:
✅ You’re shopping for a tot: Like all Duplo sets, this is super simple, designed for the smallest hands to play with.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want something more complex: Older kids will find the building challenge of this set unsatisfying, so choose something else for those aged 5 and up.
The bottom line:
🔎 Space Shuttle Adventures: We love that even the youngest members of the family can now express their love of space through bricks. This playset is wonderful, has lots of learning potential, but it’s strictly for tots only. ★★★½
When we say that Lego’s gone full-force into space this year, we weren’t kidding: There’s even a Duplo space set for tots aged 3 and up. This super-simple but adorable set is made up of 58 chunky Duplo pieces, comes with two spacemen and can be configured in multiple ways.
The focus here is learning through play, and Lego has packed in plenty of opportunity for your youngsters to develop their fine motor skills while they play. There are propellers which can be spun around, for example, and a winch that can wind and unwind — ideal when those astronauts are heading out on a space walk.
Lego calls this a 3 in 1 set, with three main ways to build the shuttle. But we’re pretty sure those 58 bricks can actually be configured hundreds of ways, allowing little imaginations to run free.
It’s on the expensive side: $59.99 for 58 bricks sounds like a lot, but remember that Duplo bricks are much, much bigger than Lego bricks. There’s enough here for your kid to get plenty of play out of, but they’re likely to grow out of it in a year or two when they want to move on to “grown-up” Lego.
How we test – ✅
Our reviewers test Lego sets the only way that we know how; by building them ourselves. We build up each set that we review, detailing how long the build process takes, how enjoyable it was and if there were any especially difficult or annoying sections. We also analyze how the finished model looks aesthetically when it’s complete; will it look good on display, are there any hidden details we like, and is anything missing?
If the set is meant for younger space fans then we also review the playability of the set; does it have lots of moving parts, are there minifigures included, etc. Finally, we take the price into consideration to see if a set represents good value for money.
Lego Space Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most expensive Lego space set?
Currently, the most expensive Lego space set you can buy is the NASA Space Shuttle Discovery set, which is priced at $199.99. That’s only a fraction of the most expensive Lego set ever, which is tied between the $849.99 Millennium Falcon and the $849.99 AT-AT. Phew.
Which Lego space set has the most pieces?
The set with the most pieces is the Lego Creator NASA Space Shuttle Discovery. It’s made up of 2,354 pieces which makes it over 800 pieces bigger than anything else in the Lego space range. The biggest set across all of Lego’s range that’s currently available is the Eiffel Tower, made up of 10,001 pieces.
What is the best Lego space set?
There are lots of excellent Lego space sets, but we think the current best set is the Space Astronaut. It’s inexpensive and it’s a lot of fun.
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