If you fancy an unusual challenge to while away some time, then how about building a Space Shuttle?
No, we’re not suggesting you assemble a team of highly skilled engineers and rent a large warehouse to reconstruct NASA’s decommissioned spacecraft. That may well be a challenge too far.
Instead, we’re talking about knocking together Lego’s latest set featuring the Space Shuttle Discovery. The special edition was announced this week to mark 40 years since the spacecraft’s first-ever orbital mission in April 1981.
Comprising 2,354 pieces, this is easily Lego’s largest Space Shuttle set to date, and its highly detailed design has prompted the company to target it at brick-building enthusiasts aged 18 and over.
The finished product is about 20 inches long and features moving parts that include the landing gear, payload bay doors, elevons, and rudder.
Lego unveiled its new Space Shuttle Discovery set this week in an online event with former astronaut Kathy Sullivan, who traveled to space aboard Discovery in 1990. During the mission, Sullivan and the rest of the crew oversaw the deployment of the groundbreaking Hubble Space Telescope, and, as a bonus, Lego is including a model of the telescope with the new set.
“I was thrilled to see the Space Shuttle in Lego form, and was very impressed by the amount of intricate detail they have managed to re-create from the module where we used to sleep and eat, through to what we called the ‘milk stalls’ on the telescope,” Sullivan, who was the first American woman to walk in space, said in a release. “Looking at the model, it was great to reminisce about my experiences in space launching the telescope for the first time. Hubble is definitely the highlight of my career.”
The former astronaut added that the new model “is a great way for Lego builders and space fans alike to get excited about space travel and learn more about the famous mission in a fun and engaging way.”
Lego has posted a video interview with Sullivan in which she talks about some of her Space Shuttle experiences, as well as the new Lego set.
The Space Shuttle, which holds a special place in the hearts of many space fans, flew from 1981 until 2011 and was the main vehicle in the U.S. space program during that time.
Lego’s latest Space Shuttle Discovery set is available from April 1 for $200. Check out the listing on Lego’s online store for more information.
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