Review: LEGO NASA Space Shuttle Discovery
When I visited the Cosmos Discovery exhibition last year, I stopped at a space shuttle model and thought that a shuttle would make a really good next Lego model with a NASA theme.
Lego surprised me by releasing a model of Space Shuttle Discovery. It naturally had to join my NASA collection, especially after I saw Space Shuttle Atlantis in person at Kennedy Space Center.
NASA Space Shuttle Discovery
The NASA Space Shuttle Discovery from the Creator Expert series was released in April 2021. Like the NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Lander and Saturn V, it was created in cooperation with NASA.
The model contains 2,354 pieces, the most of all my NASA Lego models. The Lego Saturn V has 1,969 pieces for comparison. It is still not my largest Lego model; that title belongs to the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 with its 3,098 Lego-compatible pieces.
Although the name mentions only Space Shuttle Discovery, this is essentially two models: Space Shuttle Discovery and the Hubble Space Telescope. Hubble is a complete model in its own right, but it can also be used as cargo for the shuttle.
The Space Shuttle Discovery is 54 cm long, 34 cm wide and 28 cm high including its stand. The Hubble Space Telescope is 19 cm long, 17 cm wide and 25 cm high including its stand. Its height depends on the angle of the solar panels.
The age recommendation of 18+ is interesting; I think this is the first time I have seen it. The official price in the Lego shop is €179.99.
Instructions and building
The instructions are quite extensive, with more than 300 pages. As is customary with NASA models, they begin with information about Space Shuttle Discovery, the Hubble Space Telescope and the model’s creator.
A few pages contain interesting facts about the part currently being built, but there are not as many as in the LEGO NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Lander.
Building the model takes some time. The most interesting part is assembling the interior with Lego Technic elements, such as the landing gear and the rotating flaps.
Model descriptions
The Hubble Space Telescope model consists of Hubble itself, a stand and a plaque with the name and basic information about the instrument.
Although it is the smaller of the two models in this set, it is not tiny, so some details are clearly visible. The front of Hubble’s body has an opening cover hiding a transparent plastic part representing the telescope lens.
The rear section, accessible to astronauts, is represented by an access hatch. Adjustable solar panels are located on the sides. They can be detached completely so that Hubble fits into the shuttle’s cargo bay.
The solar panels are built around a structure with glossy printed paper stretched over it. They are therefore not as impressive as the solar panels on the LEGO International Space Station.
The Space Shuttle Discovery model consists of the shuttle itself, a stand and a plaque with the name and basic information about the vehicle. The stand is quite sturdy because it has to support a shuttle that is not exactly lightweight.
The underside conceals a spring-loaded landing gear. It extends when you press the main flap at the rear beneath the engines and stays extended. It easily supports the full weight of the shuttle, so it is not only useful when the shuttle is on its stand. After pulling the main flap back out, you can retract the landing gear by hand.
The shuttle wings have flaps at the ends that can be positioned by turning one of the engines at the rear. The wings carry the American flag and the shuttle’s name, printed directly on the Lego pieces rather than applied as stickers to the sides of the fuselage.
Both sets of engines—the launch engines and those used for manoeuvring in orbit—look very realistic. A vertical stabiliser with a working air brake is mounted above them.
The main part of the fuselage consists of large opening doors providing access to the cargo bay. The inside of the doors has glued-on silver panels representing the cooling system.
The cargo bay contains a Canadarm for handling cargo, which can be attached to Hubble. Placing Hubble in the cargo bay turns two good models into one truly exceptional one. There are also details such as cameras for observing the cargo bay and an airlock leading to the shuttle cabin.
The shuttle cabin can be detached easily, making it possible to see the flight deck with its four seats and instruments, as well as the lower deck with a seat, an airlock leading to the cargo bay and a window for operating Canadarm in the cargo bay.
Rating
The LEGO NASA Space Shuttle Discovery is by far the best Lego model with a NASA theme that I have built so far. It contains many details and working parts, and the resulting half-metre-wide model is truly impressive.
A clear purchase for any LEGO NASA collection, and my favourite model so far.