![LEGO 10283 NASA Space Shuttle Discovery with Hubble revealed as a 2,300-piece Creator Expert set [News] | The Brothers Brick](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/media.brothers-brick.com/2021/03/LEGO-Creator-Expert-10283-NASA-Space-Shuttle-Discovery-YG5CA-Cover.jpg "LEGO 10283 NASA Space Shuttle Discovery with Hubble revealed as a 2,300-piece Creator Expert set [News] | The Brothers Brick")
2021 marks the 40th anniversary of the first NASA Space Shuttle flight in 1981, and LEGO is celebrating the occasion with the launch of its largest shuttle to date. 10283 NASA Space Shuttle Discovery amounts to 2,354 pieces and contains the iconic orbit on its most famous mission, STS-31. This 1990 mission launched the well-known Hubble Telescope, which is still in operation. The new 18+ Creator Expert Kit will be available starting April 1st and retails for US $ 199.99 CAN $ 269.99 | UK £ 169.99.
LEGO sat down with dr. Kathy Sullivan, a former astronaut who served as a mission specialist on STS-31, to unveil the series and discuss the mission to launch Hubble, as well as to talk about children’s involvement in STEM and space exploration. The full interview can be viewed at LEGO.com/gobeyond.
Keep an eye on our full review of this series soon, and check out the rest of the details below.
Although there have been dozens of LEGO shuttle services recently, the Discovery is the largest and most detailed range to date. It joins other NASA themes of recent years, such as 21309 NASA Apollo Saturn V, 10266 NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Lander, 21312 Women of NASA and 21321 International Space Station.
The set was designed by Milan Madge and contains both the orbit and the Hubble Telescope, each with their own exhibits and information posters.
The shuttle is 21.78 cm long, 13.6 wide (34.6 cm) and 55.86 cm long and has retractable landing gear and movable control surfaces on the wings and tail. The landing gear can be deployed by pushing the pickup under the engines, while adjusting the wing control surfaces by turning the upper main engine.
The interior is also detailed, with the cabin and middle deck accessible via removable sections.
Meanwhile, the doors of the boot open to hold Hubble.
Hubble is a complete model on its own that can be packed in the boot, which is displayed on its own.
It can also be displayed with Discovery as it is deployed from the boot.
Here is the official press release from LEGO:
PASS WITH THE NEW LEGO® NASA SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY SET
22nd March 2021: The incredible new LEGO® NASA Space Shuttle Discovery kit, launched today, brings the wonder of space exploration back home! The new set, ideal for adult builders, is a detailed version of the STS-31 mission launched in April 1990, featuring the Discovery orbit and its five crew members deploying the Hubble Space Telescope in space. Since then, Hubble has shared amazing images of deep space, leading to breakthroughs in astrophysics and space exploration.
The LEGO NASA Space Shuttle Discovery consists of 2,354 pieces and is incredibly detailed in true reflection of its peer-to-peer, complete with functional landing gear, and boot doors that open one after the other. The doors also contain reflective stickers to mimic the cooling radiators on the right shuttle.
At the rear of Discovery are housed the three main engines used to start in a lane. It is flanked on either side of the tail by smaller engines designed to move in orbit and to move back into the atmosphere at the end of the mission. The flight control surfaces at the rear of the wings and tail are then used to control the roll, pitch and fad like an aircraft does. The rudder of the tail acts as a speed brake to assist in landing and rolling out on the runway after contact.
Not only is the outside of the Space Shuttle incredibly accurate, but the inside of the upper flight deck down through the middle of the deck and up to the boot is sure to please the builders as well as space enthusiasts. The crew cabin contains the five seats correctly placed for the astronauts on the STS-31 mission, complete with flight and robot arm (Remote Manipulator System, or RMS), control panels. Meanwhile, the middle deck contains the spacecraft’s storage cabinets for supplies and mission equipment, space for the fifth crew member and the airlock to the boot.
The boot contains the Ku-band antenna for communication, cameras for the crew to monitor operations in the bay, and the RMS arm that is ready to struggle Hubble and release to carry out its mission.
The same attention to detail has been applied to the Hubble Space Telescope, with its hinged mirror housing, just like the actual telescope and new gold-foil solar arrays, as well as a realistic, reflective, metal-silver design. The telescope can be stored in the boot, ready to be connected to the RMS arm, just like on STS-31. Alternatively, it could be displayed separately from Discovery, as if it were spinning in space on its main mission, documenting the stars and our universe.
Milan Madge, LEGO set designer, said: “The spacecraft is the most intricate vehicle ever made, and it’s an exciting challenge to translate it into LEGO. In the right vehicle, every inch of space is used in inventive ways. About in general we can rely on the size in a LEGO model to accommodate the structure that holds the whole set together, but with the Discovery Space Shuttle we had to create a smooth exterior and an interior that can hold the payload. functional landing pieces and you have a real puzzle, which was undoubtedly the most challenging part of this model – trying to connect the front and main landing without removing space from the boot and without compromising the structure of the model. favorite part of the set is the little blue seats that took 5 people away from their home planet on a mission that allows us to discover parts of the universe that have never been seen before! “
LEGO set designer Milan Madge
Upon completion, the set also comes with stands and information plaques, with which you can proudly display your creation.
In addition, GDPs will be able to buy two exclusive items with their points; An Ulysses space probe, available for 1,800 VIP points, which the Space Shuttle Discovery also deployed in 1990 on a mission to scan the sun. Limited stock available.
LEGO® NASA Space Shuttle Discovery Kit will be available directly from LEGO Stores and LEGO.com from April 1, 2021
- Age – 18+
- Model measures:
- Height: 21.78cm
- Width: 34.60cm
- Length: 55.46cm
- 2 354 pieces
- The set includes the Discovery runway with functional landing gear, boot doors, lifts and rudder.
- The Hubble Space Telescope can be folded and contained in the boot, or expanded with its solar power and displayed separately.
- The model has two uprights and plates for both the orbit and the Hubble Space Telescope.
- Price: 199.99 USD / 179.99 EUR / 169.99GBP / 269.99 CAD
Here is the press release regarding the collaboration with dr. Kathy Sullivan:
LEGO CLOSES POWERS WITH THE FIRST ASTRONAUT DR. KATHY SULLIVAN LAUNCHES NEW LEGO® NASA SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY
March 22, 2021: To celebrate the launch of the new LEGO® NASA Space Shuttle Discovery, the LEGO Group teamed up exclusively with former NASA astronaut Dr. Kathy Sullivan spoke to reveal details of her experience aboard the original NASA STS-31 mission and how the actual spacecraft compares to the LEGO model’s detailed imagination of the spacecraft and the famous Hubble Space Telescope.
Dr Kathy Sullivan, filmed at COSI (Center of Science and Industry), the fascinating interview, now available at lego.com/gobeyond, reveals details about the incredible mission that launched the Hubble Space Telescope into space – which NASA launched in enables scientists around the world to discover more of the universe than ever before. The interview also reminded me of dr. Sullivan’s thoughts on encouraging more young people to STEM careers and the future of space exploration.
The new LEGO NASA Space Shuttle Discovery, developed in collaboration with NASA, is a complex 2,354-piece building that pays homage to this groundbreaking moment in space history and it is the fortieth anniversary since the first Space Shuttle flight on April 12. 1981. The set, aimed at adults, contains the Discovery orbit with functional landing gear, loading doors, elevators and rudder; and the famous Hubble Space Telescope, which can be folded and contained in the boot, or solar powered and displayed separately. Both also have a display that contains important details of the mission.
Dr. Kathy Sullivan said of the set: ‘I was delighted to see the spacecraft in LEGO form and was very impressed by the amount of intricate details they were able to manage to create from the module where we used to sleep and eat. after what we called the “milk stalls” on the telescope. When I looked at the model, it was great to be reminded of my experiences with launching the telescope for the first time. Hubble is definitely the highlight of my career. ”
This LEGO model is a great way for LEGO builders and space fans to get excited about space travel and learn more about the famous mission in a fun and engaging way. ”
Just over thirty years of the original mission, the LEGO group wanted to dig deeper into people’s passions for space to truly discover what they think of the great outside. Including, what the next 30 years could hold, the future of space travel and whether there really is life on Mars.
Key findings include:
- 72% of people describe spatial exploration as ‘essential’
- Discover more about the universe and make scientific discoveries that are the main reason why people believe we should travel to space, with more information about the earth taking second place
- 24% of people believe we will find new planets and 13% think we will find the strange life in the next 30 years
- 71% of people believe that there is life on other planets
- More than half (52%) think that there will be space tourism in the next 30 years. With 32% think it will involve expensive and exclusive trips in the atmosphere
- 68% would travel to space if invited
Dr. Kathy Sullivan gave her expert opinion on the future of space exploration to LEGO, including: ‘the biggest obstacles to space tourism in the next 30 years are the safety and cost elements, if we can break through, the general public can really’ a journey into space in the future. ”
As part of the broader LEGO Going Further campaign, which begins with this product launch, space and LEGO fans can go to lego.com/gobeyond to watch the interview and learn more about the original mission, more about the LEGO NASA to discover Space Shuttle Discovery set up and gain access to some amazing online learning tools for spaces from LEGO Education
In addition, LEGO VIPs can after a full-length interview with former NASA astronaut Dr. Kathy Sullivan looks, where she discusses more details about the original mission, and what the journey to space really looks like. GDPs will be able to buy two exclusive items with their points; An Ulysses space probe, available for 1,800 VIP points, launched by the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1990 on a mission to scan the sun. Limited stock available.
LEGO® NASA Space Shuttle Discovery goes on sale April 1 from LEGO.com
and LEGO retail stores.
Check out the extensive gallery of images below: