Review: LEGO Saturn V

After visiting Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where I saw a real Saturn V rocket among other things, I simply had to get its LEGO version as a great addition to my NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Lander model.

Saturn V

The Saturn V is a LEGO Ideas model released in 2017. Like the NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Lander and Women of NASA, this model was created in cooperation with NASA.

The model contains 1,969 pieces, matching the year Apollo 11 landed on the Moon. It is 100 cm wide, so it is truly large.

The official price in the LEGO shop is €119.99.

Instructions and building

The instructions are quite well made and begin with a few pages introducing the Apollo programme. They provide basic information not only about the programme itself but also about the Saturn V rocket.

Building the model according to the instructions is straightforward. You build it gradually, one rocket stage at a time. However, unlike the instructions for the NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Lander, they do not contain occasional snippets of information about the rocket.

I really enjoyed building this model. With 1,969 pieces, you can have a good few hours of fun. The result is well worth it.

Model description

The model consists of the Saturn V rocket, a stand for displaying it horizontally, the lunar module and the command module. You do not have to use the horizontal stand: the rocket is quite stable when standing upright and will not easily fall over.

The rocket itself consists of three stages and an instrument unit. All these parts can be separated, and each stage has its own engine. You can therefore simulate the entire mission in considerable detail, from launch to separating the modules.

The lunar and command modules are very nice details. The model also includes a few astronauts and an American flag, and even at this scale it looks quite similar to the real thing. The command module depicts a water landing, including the flotation devices.

You can place the lunar module inside the instrument unit, just as on the real Saturn V. The unit can then be opened easily, allowing you to release the lunar module and the service and command modules and perform the docking manoeuvre.

Rating

The Saturn V is a great model that should be in every fan’s collection of LEGO and spaceflight models. It does not have as many details as some other models, but at 100 cm that would not really be possible—it is a very large model.

Make sure you have enough room for it; you will not regret it.