It seems like an age ago that LEGO Ideas ran a fan vote to determine which LEGO Theme would be commemorated as part of the company’s 90th Anniversary Celebrations. I had long hoped we would see a grey and blue castle, with a transparent yellow Bionicle mask mounted above the drawbridge. Today I am delighted to say that I was mistaken. Not one set or one theme, but at least two. Will we see more? I honestly have no idea.

A revised 928/497 Galaxy Explorer was announced at LEGO CON today. This is the Iconic LEGO Spaceship. The emblem of LEGO Space in the early days, representing the ethos of peaceful exploration, before the introduction of conflict was required to drive the story-telling.

The set was revealed by Mike Psiaki – who revealed it is 1.5 times larger than the original set.

10497 will arrive on August 1st 2022, and will cost $99.99 / £89.99/ €99.99 /179.99 AUD/129.99 CAD. IF YOU ARE KEEN, it will be available for preorder in some markets from today!

This new set has 1254 elements, including 4 minifigures: 2 white and 2 red. This represents the first appearance of the red classic spaceman for some time. There is the obligatory droid and buggy, but alas, no moonbase, crater-plate or landing port. These remain in our imaginations, perhaps a topic for our own brick-built versions going forward.

Finally, the ship has room to seat 4. the landing gear are retractable. The wing pods, and engines are far more element intensive that the original version, which debuted back in 1979.

Age: 18+; 1254 pieces; August 1, 2022; 

Celebrate 90 years of LEGO® creations with this nostalgic building project for adults. This special anniversary edition of the Classic 497 LEGO Galaxy Explorer retains all the features of the 1979 set but on a bigger scale. Step back in time and enjoy a relaxing build, crafting all the details. With 4 astronaut figures and accessories, there’s lots to explore in this tribute to a LEGO fan classic. 

I also love the reappearance of the red wheel hubs, just as we had ‘back in the day, along with the detail in the cabins. the angle of the front cabin adds to the sleekness of the craft and takes it in a different direction from that of its predecessors. The use of the large cockpit canopies is also a great variation on the transparent plate and slopes, which served its duty back in the 70s, but is a little obsolete today.

I have to admit, when I saw this set, I might have wept a little.

It has been a great year for Space Fans across the LEGO Range, from the LEGO City Artemis sets through to the Monkie Kid Galactic Explorer. But all the time, while we draw cues from space police as well as the stories of classic space – but all along there have been cries for a ‘Classic’ – Blue/Grey/Trans yellowspace ship, and today we have seen it.

Different enough to be a fresh design, and similar enough to be a fine tribute. I have one major unanswered question: Does it come with a flip top lid? Time will tell.

I cannot wait to get a better look at it in real-life and hope to be able to bring a review to you in a few weeks time. The set feels a little pricey for the part count, but this is probably part of the New-World order.

I have cleared some shelf space already!

How do you feel about this tribute to the 70s icon? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave your comments below, and until next time,

Play Well

The 10497 Galaxy explorer is available to pre-order in some markets. Please consider using these affiliate links.

• Australia $179.99 AUD
• USA $99.99 USD
• Canada $129.99 CAD
• Great Britain £89.99 GBP (Not yet available at 7:45 pm BST 18/6/2022)

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