From realistic scale models of NASA rockets to lunar-based playsets for kids, we've got something for everyone here in our round-up of the best Lego space sets. With Christmas just around the corner, you're probably thinking about gifts, and Lego has something to suit just about any age — as long as they're into space.
For adults, how about the incredible (and huge) Artemis Space Launch System, based on NASA's actual rocket? Or if you want something a little more left-field, there's the colorful and eye-catching wall art based on the Milky Way.
For kids, there are a lot of sets to choose from, but one of our favorites is the Modular Space Station, offering an engaging build and a fun play experience. And for older kids who want to learn, we can't recommend the Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit Technic set enough.
You'll find the above sets and a whole lot more in our full guide to the best Lego space sets. If you'd prefer to leave our solar system behind and travel to a galaxy far, far away then we've also got a guide to the best Lego Star Wars sets for you to check out.
The quick list
Not only does this epic set let you recreate your very own scale model of the Space Shuttle Discovery, it also comes with a Hubble Telescope.
Price: $199.99 / £169.99
Model number: 10283
Number of pieces: 2,354
One of the most unique space-themed Lego sets so far, this wall art of the Milky Way looks absolutely stunning no matter where you hang it.
Price: $199.99 / £169.99
Model number: 31212
Number of pieces: 3,091
This fantastic-looking astronaut figure has poseable limps and a display stand — and being a Creator 3-in-1 set, it can be turned into a space dog or a shuttle too.
Price: $54.99/£44.99
Model number: 31152
Number of pieces: 647
The Artemis Space Launch System is utterly striking, and amongst the best Lego space sets for adults. It's the most realistic rocket you'll currently find, although you'll need a lot of space to display it.
Price: $259.99 / £219.99
Model number: 10341
Number of pieces: 3,601
Something a little different, Tales of the Space Age features four colorful and vibrant dioramas that can be wall mounted.
Price: $49.99 / £44.99
Model number: 21349
Number of pieces: 688
This is undoubtedly one of the best Lego space playsets out there, creating a space station that can be swapped and changed during play. It's pricey, but you're getting a lot for your money.
Price: $109.99 / £89.99
Model number: 60433
Number of pieces: 1,097
Based on the actual NASA Perseverance rover, this Technic model features steering functions, movable arms and wheels that can travel across uneven surfaces.
Price: $99.99 / £84.99
Model number: 42158
Number of pieces: 1,132
A gear system allows you to turn a crank and watch the Earth realistically orbit the Sun. It's a great set for teaching kids about the solar system.
Price: $74.99 / £69.99
Model number: 42179
Number of pieces: 526
Aimed at the tiniest builders aged 2 and up, this colorful and fun space shuttle can be built in three different ways, designed to promote learning through play.
Price: $59.99 / £59.99
Model number: 10422
Number of pieces: 58
NASA Space Shuttle Discovery
✅ You're a NASA fan: It's a realistic replica of the actual Discovery shuttle, which is neat.
✅ You have plenty of display space: This isn't a small set, so you'll need plenty of shelving space to properly show it off.
❌ You're on a budget: At $200, this is one of the most expensive Lego Space sets out there, so it's for serious collectors/Lego fans only.
🔎 Space Shuttle Discovery: The finished model is a wonder to behold, but it's also a joy to build too. It's big and expensive, but well worth the cost. ★★★★½
If you’re a space fan, then there’s no denying that the Lego NASA Space Shuttle Discovery is one of the best Lego space sets you can get your hands on right now. It’s an authentic recreation of NASA’s real Discovery shuttle, featuring realistic elements such as an opening payload bay, retractable landing gear, and five seats for the crew.
Included in the build is also a scale model of the Hubble Telescope. You can have it out on display alongside Discovery, or you can stow it away inside the shuttle's payload bay, which we think is a seriously neat touch.
We're big fans of this model: In our Lego NASA Space Shuttle Discovery review, we praised both the building process and the final model. It looks seriously impressive on display, but we struggle to keep our hands away from playing with all of its moving parts.
There are a few downsides, however. The model uses a lot of stickers which can detract from the finished build (although a few do admittedly add some nice details). And there are also no minifigures included, but that's understandable given the scale of the ship.
It's a little pricey, but we think it's absolutely worth it for what you're getting here. The cost means you might want to leave this one on display, however, rather than letting smaller hands play with it.
- Read our full Lego NASA Space Shuttle Discovery review.
Milky Way Galaxy
✅ You don't have much display space: We love Lego sets that hang on the wall, and this is one of the best.
✅ You want something colorful and eye-catching: The use of color here is absolutely gorgeous.
❌ You want a playset: This is art for your wall, and nothing else.
🔎 Art The Milky Way: One of the best wall-mounted Lego sets, we absolutely love the color and design of The Milky Way. It looks stunning on our wall and will brighten up any space. ★★★★★
There are multiple things we love about Lego Art The Milky Way. First and foremost is the fact that it hangs on the wall. If you're a Lego collector then you'll know how precious display space can be, and unless you have a huge house you're going to run out of it pretty quickly. That's where Lego sets that can hang on the wall come in: They can go anywhere without taking up any shelf or mantel space. We absolutely love them.
Lego's rendition of The Milky Way is one of our favorite Lego Art sets, in fact. It uses color excellently, to create something both abstract and eye-catching but also instantly recognizable as the Milky Way. Its design will, of course, appeal most to space fans, but the beautiful nature of it means that it's the type of wall art that just about anyone can enjoy.
One of our favorite things about the set, as we mentioned in our Lego Art The Milky Way review, is that it's made up of weird and wonderful Lego pieces, such as miniature hearts, stars and even tiny frogs — yes, really! It sounds odd but in practise it looks wonderful, and adds a lovely layer of texture to the finished work.
The building process is long, thanks to it being so big and made up of more than 3,000 pieces. But since the wall art is constructed with 12 individual squares, it's the ideal set for building with a friend or loved one, or to tackle by yourself over a number of days. It's a little repetitive, but since every square is slightly different it's not too bad — and once you see it start to come together, it's more than worth the hard work.
- Read our Lego Art The Milky Way review for more information.
Space Astronaut
✅ You want a fun set: This is a seriously playful set while still looking fairly realistic.
✅ You like value for money: Three builds in one for $54.99? Sign us up!
❌ You want something complex: Aimed at ages 9+, ths Space Astronaut is fairly simple to build compared to some other sets.
🔎 Space Astronaut: The alternative build space dog and shuttle are only OK, but they're just bonuses anyway: The focus is the poseable astronaut, who is simply magnificent. ★★★★★
The Lego Creator 3-in-1 Space Astronaut set might just be one of our favorite space-themed Lego sets of all time. It doesn't cost the Earth, it's simple to build, and yet the finished model is something you can be truly proud of. What's not to like?
The main model in this 3-in-1 set is of course the Space Astronaut, and once you've built it, it stands fairly tall at 10.5 inches. It comes with a display stand included, which makes it nice and easy to show off on a shelf or your desk.
What makes this astronaut truly stand out, though, is just how poseable it is. In our Lego Space Astronaut review, we talked about how you can move its legs, feet and arms to pose it however you like. You can even move its fingers, giving it various gestures that can be easily changed. A very cool touch.
Being a 3-in-1 set, there's more than just the astronaut included here. Take it apart and you can also build a rather cute space dog, and an average-looking space shuttle. They're both smaller than the astronaut and while they might be fun to build, the astronaut is undoubtedly the star of the set.
- Read our full Lego Creator Space Astronaut review for more information
Artemis Space Launch System
✅ You love realistic sets: Sets based on NASA properties don't come much better than this
✅ You want an in-depth building experience: It'll take several hours to put this set together, with plenty of challenging parts.
❌ You have limited space: At 28 inches high, this is a huge set, so perhaps don't buy it if you don't have much display space.
🔎 Artemis Space Launch System: Fun and nostalgic by the bucketload, we love the Lego Icons Galaxy Explorer. It's a fantastic build, but even better to look at when it's finished. ★★★★★
The Lego Icons NASA Artemis Space Launch System is seriously impressive in just about every way. It's the biggest and most expensive space set that you can currently buy, but if you have the budget for it, you shouldn't let the price tag put you off: you're getting a seriously impressive kit for the price.
In our review of the Lego Artemis SLS, we made no hesitation in saying it's one of the best-looking space sets Lego has ever released. We think it's going to take something really special to beat it, in fact.
It goes without saying that the Artemis Space Launch System isn't a playset: it's very much a display set aimed at grown-up NASA and space enthusiasts. It's the type of set you build to show off to your like-minded friends and family, but just bear in mind you'll need a lot of display space. As we've already mentioned, this is a huge set, standing more than 28 inches (70cm) tall when it's built up.
It's a great, in-depth build, but it can get a little repetitive at times. It's worth the slog, though, and your perseverance pays off when the finished model comes together. Few Lego sets look as impressive as this, and if anything, it only makes us more excited for what Lego and NASA bring out next.
- For more information head to our detailed Lego NASA Artemis Space Launch System review
Tales of the Space Age
✅ You want something a little different: This isn't your typical Lego space set, but that's why we love it.
✅ You want to hang it on the wall: We're all for Lego that can be displayed on the wall. More of this please, Lego.
❌ You want something complex: Tales of the Space Age didn't take very long to build, so it's not something you can sink your teeth into.
🔎Tales of the Space Age: Colorful and fun, this set offers up the best that Lego Ideas has to offer. It's a little too simple to build, perhaps, but looks great on display. ★★★★
"A real celebration of space" is how we described Lego Ideas Tales of the Space Age in our review. It's an accurate description for this beautiful and creative set that features four separate dioramas, each depicting a particular space event. There's a rocket launch, a moon base and lunar eclipse, a comet, and a black hole.
If you're unfamiliar with the Lego Ideas range, it's a scheme that allows any Lego fan to submit their ideas to be made into real sets. Ultimately, Tales of the Space Age received 10,000 votes and was cleared by the official Lego council before being made into a real set, beating hundreds of other potential sets in the process.
Perhaps our favorite thing about Lego Ideas Tales of the Space Age is that each of the four images can be hung on the wall. You can choose to display them separately, but we think they look better all next to each other. We love Lego that can be hung on the wall when display space is so precious!
The only negative we can say about this set is that it's perhaps a little too simple to build considering it carries an 18+ age rating. While it's not a playset, it's a perfectly adequate build for children aged 8 and up as long as they're familiar with Lego. And since there are four separate models, all with their own instruction manuals, it's a great set for building together as a family.
Modular Space Station
✅ Fun is a priority: There's so much fun and creativity to be had with this set.
✅ You're young, or young at heart: As a playset, it's been designed with kids in mind.
❌ You're on a budget: Even though it's a sizeable set, this is a pricey playset so you might want to look for something cheaper.
🔎 Modular Space Station: Designed with kids in mind, there's so much to do and play with on the Lego Modular Space Station. It fuels creativity, and we love that — even if it's not exactly realistic. ★★★★
A new set for 2024, the Lego City Modular Space Station has been built with kids in mind. It's made up of 1,097 pieces, comes with six minifigures, and can be configured in multiple different ways.
The Modular Space Station is built around a "space ring", which essentially acts as an anchor for eight different modules. There's a bedroom, a kitchen, a workshop, a lab and more — and kids can remove these and reposition them however they want.
What's particularly fun (but very unrealistic) is that the pods can be removed from the Space Station and assembled into a train. Oh yes, this set can have your kids chugging a train through space.
In our Lego City Modular Space Station review, we thought this set makes an excellent gift for kids with an interest in space — but our only reservation is its cost. At $109.99 it's not cheap, but if you can pick it up on sale you (and your kids) will be seriously happy with it.
While it might not teach youngsters much about life aboard a real space station, it does encourage creativity and imaginative play, and that's perhaps what we love most about Lego playsets. It's surprisingly big too, measuring over 15 inches across when built, so you at least feel like you're getting your money's worth.
- Get the full lowdown in our Lego City Modular Space Station review
NASA Mars Rover Perseverance
✅ You want a challenging build: Technic is much more complex than standard "system" Lego, so this will be a tough (but fun) build.
✅ You value realism: This is based on the real Perseverance rover and includes lots of realistic details.
❌ You're a novice: Although Lego's age rating is 10+, we wouldn't recommend jumping into this unless you're already well-versed with Technic builds.
🔎 NASA Mars Rover Perseverance: There are lots of realistic features in this Technic build, making it feel like an accurate representation of the real thing. The build is tough, but it's well worth it. ★★★★
The Lego NASA Mars Rover Perseverance is made from Technic, rather than traditional 'System' Lego pieces. Technic sets tend to be more complicated, engineering-focused builds, and the Mars Rover Perseverance is no different, thanks to its working parts.
Made up of 1,132 pieces, it's packed with lots of features that make it feel like a genuine replica of the real thing. It has articulated suspension, for example, which means it's built to move over uneven surfaces. And there's manually controlled 360-degree steering and even a moveable arm.
In our Mars Rover Perseverance review, we called it a 'wonderful piece of Lego engineering', and it really is. Putting it together can be a bit of a challenge if you’re new to Technic Lego, and there are a lot of stickers to attach too, but we think the challenge is part of the fun. The reward is well worth the effort because this is such a gorgeous set. It straddles the line between display piece and playset perfectly, making it suitable for all ages.
There's also a dedicated AR app you can download on your phone. Point your camera towards NASA Mars Rover Perseverance and it'll bring the set to life — along with providing some neat details about the real Perseverance's mission.
- Read our full Lego NASA Mars Rover Perseverance review to find out more about this set
Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit
✅ You want something educational: With a rotation system in place, this shows kids exactly how the Earth rotates around the Sun.
✅ You like challenging builds: With lots of cogs and working parts, this is a build to test your skills.
❌ You want a display piece: As cool as it is, this isn't the nicest set to look at.
🔎 Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit: This is a seriously neat idea, and perhaps one of the most original Technic models we've ever seen. It's a little ugly, but its mechanism is second to none. ★★★★
We're not sure we've ever seen a Lego Technic model quite as unique as Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit. Made up of 526 pieces, it mimics the Earth's orbit of the Sun, and the Moon's orbit of Earth.
It's not battery-powered: Instead, you spin a crank which will set the model in motion. It's seriously cool, and it's a novel way to teach youngsters about the solar system and how the planets move. In our review of the Lego Technic Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit, we praised its STEM stimulation elements, making it a great learning tool.
Lego markets this as a 10+ set and while we think kids even younger than that will absolutely love seeing it in motion, it might take much older, more experienced builders to successfully put this together. With a lot of cogs and working parts, it's easy to go wrong — but when you do get everything aligned, it's fantastic.
Our only negative? The finished model isn't the nicest to look at, and we're not sure we'd be happy to keep it out on display like we are with most of our Lego sets. Most of its Technic mechanisms are laid bare, so it's not the most aesthetically pleasing set ever releases. Thankfully though, its working parts trump that: This is an educational tool first and foremost, rather than the type of set you have out on show.
- Our full Lego Technic Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit review has more details about this wonderful space-themed set
3 in 1 Space Shuttle Adventure
✅ You're shopping for a tot: Like all Duplo sets, this is super simple, designed for the smallest hands to play with.
❌ You want something more complex: Older kids will find the building challenge of this set unsatisfying, so choose something else for those aged 5 and up.
🔎 Space Shuttle Adventures: We love that even the youngest members of the family can now express their love of space through bricks. This playset is wonderful, has lots of learning potential, but it's strictly for tots only. ★★★½
When we say that Lego's gone full-force into space this year, we weren't kidding: There's even a Duplo space set for tots aged 3 and up. This super-simple but adorable set is made up of 58 chunky Duplo pieces, comes with two spacemen and can be configured in multiple ways.
The focus here is learning through play, and Lego has packed in plenty of opportunity for your youngsters to develop their fine motor skills while they play. There are propellers which can be spun around, for example, and a winch that can wind and unwind — ideal when those astronauts are heading out on a space walk.
Lego calls this a 3 in 1 set, with three main ways to build the shuttle. But we're pretty sure those 58 bricks can actually be configured hundreds of ways, allowing little imaginations to run free.
It's on the expensive side: $59.99 for 58 bricks sounds like a lot, but remember that Duplo bricks are much, much bigger than Lego bricks. There's enough here for your kid to get plenty of play out of, but they're likely to grow out of it in a year or two when they want to move on to "grown-up" Lego.
How we test - ✅
Our reviewers test Lego sets the only way that we know how: By building them ourselves. We build up each set that we review, detailing how long the build process takes, how enjoyable it was and if there were any particularly difficult or annoying sections. We also analyze how the finished model looks aesthetically when it's complete. Will it look good on display, are there any hidden details we like, and is anything missing?
If the set is meant for younger space fans then we also review the playability of the set: does it have lots of moving parts, are there minifigures included? Finally, we take the price into consideration to see if a set represents good value for money.
Lego Space Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most expensive Lego space set?
Currently, the most expensive Lego space set you can buy is the NASA Artemis Space Launch System, which is priced at $269.99. That's only a fraction of the most expensive Lego set ever, which is tied between the $849.99 Millennium Falcon and the $849.99 AT-AT. Phew.
Which Lego space set has the most pieces?
The set with the most pieces is the Lego Icons NASA Artemis Space Launch System. It's made up of 3,601 pieces which makes it around 500 pieces bigger than anything else in the Lego space range. The biggest set across all of Lego's range that's currently available is the Eiffel Tower, made up of 10,001 pieces.
What is the best Lego space set?
There are lots of excellent Lego space sets, but we think the current best set is the Space Astronaut. It's inexpensive and it's a lot of fun.
Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.
