Lego Blasts Off With Two New NASA-Themed Sets

This summer, you can reach for the stars with two new space-themed building sets from Lego. The Danish toymaker revealed two new sets today that will be released in May: the Artemis Space Launch System, representing the new launch system for the Orion spacecraft that will convey astronauts to the Moon over the next few years, and the Milky Way Galaxy, a wall art piece depicting the beauty of the spiral-armed galaxy we call home.

The Artemis Space Launch System set will feature the Orion spacecraft’s entire launch system, including a multistage rocket with 2 solid-fuel boosters; a detailed mobile launch tower with retractable umbilicals, rocket support and crew bridge; and the Orion craft itself. It will consist of 3601 pieces, and will retail for $259.99 USD.

The Milky Way Galaxy set is a 3D, wall-mountable depiction of our home galaxy, and will include such galactic landmarks as Trappist-1 (a red dwarf star whose planets may be habitable by alien life), the Pleiades star cluster, the Crab Nebula (the remnants of a centuries-old supernova), and the “star nursery” of the Pillars of Creation. It will have 3091 pieces, and will sell for $199.99 USD. The sets will be available to members of Lego’s customer-loyalty Lego Insider program from May 15 to May 17; they will then go on sale to the public on May 18.

What is the Artemis Program?

The Artemis program (not to be confused with Fly Me To the Moon, the Space Age rom-com starring Scarlett Johannson and Channing Tatum that was formerly named Project Artemis), is named after the Greek goddess of the Moon, and is NASA‘s first manned Moon mission since 1972, when the last humans set foot on the lunar surface. Artemis 1 launched in November 2022, successfully taking a crew of mannequins and robots on two flybys of the Moon before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean as planned. Artemis 2, which will take a human crew on a lunar flyby, is scheduled for late 2025, while Artemis 3, which will land a human crew on the Moon for the first time since 1972 Apollo 17 mission, is tentatively scheduled for 2026. That should give you plenty of time to build the Lego set beforehand.

While you’re assembling your Milky Way Galaxy set, you can scan a QR code in the instruction booklet to listen to a specially curated podcast about the Milky Way. The podcast will be hosted by Jack Gardner Vaa and will feature aerospace engineer Camille “Galactic Gal” Bergin, Chancellor of the University of Leicester Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock, and Lego designer Adam Vaughan.

Lego’s Artemis Space Launch System and Milky Way Galaxy sets will be released on May 18, 2024. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates, and watch NASA’s highlight video of the Artemis 1 mission, from launch to splashdown, below.