Now that December is under way, German retailers Lucky Bricks and JB-Spielwaren have unveiled the majority of releases for January 2024 (and just a couple for March 2024 as well). The LEGO Builder App has got in on the act with these reveals as well, and there seems to be a recurring theme: SPACE. I was a childhood Space fan, and LEGOLAND Space with its red and white astronauts tickled my interest in just the right way back in 1979. Fast forward to 2024 and we see sets featuring LEGO Space Branding on the box, but also across multiple themes. How wide spread? We have seen it across not only City, but also Technic, Duplo, Dreamzzz, Friends, Creator 3in1 and Classic.

The branding takes the form of a diagonal silver cutoff, featuring the Classic Space LOGO with a purple planetoid and a red shuttle swooshing around it, and appears across the featured themes.

Lets Take a look…

Duplo 3+

10422 3in1 Space Shuttle Adventure

We have the Earth, the Sun and a star as well as some gears and a jolly Green Alien!

Creator 3in1

Creator 3in1 has some incredible models in the range this year including a retro camera, old school roller-skates, a peacock as well as a buildable astronaut figure. This set features alternative models including a shuttle, as well as a dog in a space suit! With its sophisticated black stand, this suspended astronaut under taking an EVA/Space Walk is certainly a striking model.

LEGO Friends

The reboot of LEGO Friends has seen some amazing sets come to the fore during the last 12 months, and the next year is shaping up to continue this theme. However, we have 2 sets demonstrating ‘Space -related’ activity:

42603 Star Gazing Camping Vehicle

42605 Mars Space Base and Rocket.

Featuring large domes with purple trim, this set brings us everything we expected from a Classic 80s set – a base, rocket and buggy with 3 astronauts AND A CAT! To say nothing of the base demonstrating its hydrponic section,as well as residential area. A small green alien, who appears related to the one seen in the DUPLO Set is also present, hiding in a translucent greenshell.

LEGO Dreamzzz

LEGO DREAMZZz continues to bring us some engaging sets with a selection of smaller sized sets than we saw last year, as well as a few others.

I’m not going to lie: the two smallest in the series – 71471 Mateo’s Off Road Car and 71472 Izzie’s Narwhal Hot Air Balloon both appeal, if only because it looks like they will occupy pricepoints that last year’s sets could never reach.

As with previous builds, 71475 Mr Oz’s Space Car has a very servicable bright- yellowish orange car, which can be developed into a 6 wheel rover, with a roof mounted Gun turret as well as a or a modified shuttle, with a small rover for Albert the Chimp. Mr Oz and Albert both seem to sport pearl golds Spacesuits

LEGO City

Consider two halves of LEGO City in 2024: the ‘Actual City’ – Fire, Police, Go Karts, food trucks and more; and SPACE.

For the sake of this article, I’ll just bring out the Space sets…

We return to the concepts of exploration and mining that were the cornerstone of LEGO Space sets between 1978-1987. Before the Dark Times. Before Blacktron. Transparent blue gems seem to be common place, and many of the sets feature small 3-eyed aliens similar to those seen in friends (and indeed DUPLO). the predominant colour seems to be Black, White, and the new Reddish orange first spotted in images of 80054 Megapolis. We have lots of different minifigures, as well as a smattering of aliens included.

30663 Space Hoverbike

In the best traditions of the smallest space shuttles and flyers of the 70s-90s, this little one man craft will be ever so swooshable . Spaceman: 1 azure? or turquoise sky jockey.

60428 Space Mining Mech

Mechs have become a cornerstone of LEGO play in the 21st century, be they Ninjago, Space, Monkie Kid or city. This minifigure sizedmech packs a lot of detail into a small parcel. With 140 pieces, this set will be a great introduction to mech building . one Bright light orange Space Miner

60429 Spaceship and Asteroid Discovery

Aimed at the 4+ audience, this simple flier certainly has its roots in the 885 Space scooter from 1979. These sets guarantee a sticker free experience, as well as simple construction. I am inrigued to see how this one will feel in the hand. In short… is it swooshable? One astronaut with Green and another with azure or turquoise trim.

60430 Interstellar Spaceship

This starship comes with a black helmeted pilot, while flying in a craft that certainly has a blunt end and a pointy end. Is this the sequel to 918 for the new generation?

60431 Space Explorer and Alien Life

This six wheeler has a fold down ramp at the rear of the vehicle to deploy is smalle remote vehicle, while we have azure and green spacemen.

60432 Command Rover and Crane Loader

8wheels, aliens, droids, azure, green and bright yellowish orange figures thrown in for good measure.

60433 Modular Space Station

this 1097 piece set has 2 bright green, one dark green,and one azure astronaut, along with one bright light orange miner. The station has multiple modules around a central ring.

60434 Space Base and Rocket Launch Pad

Drawing on the best traditions od LEGO Space, this set has a base, a small rover and a shuttle ready to blast off into space. Its great to have a golden commander, complete with epaulettes, and a specially decorated torso. We also have an azure astronaut, as well as two green explorers. There are 2 miners: one with a dark red helmet, and another with a bright light orange one.

Technic

We have seen several Technic sets revealed as well, although they are technically a March release. It is a little bizarre seeing Technic sets present concepts that are quite fantastical. I can see 42179 as being an excellent teaching tool: not just for the concept of Orbit, but also for being able to demonstrate the use of diffenent gears, and providing an excellent selection of mechanistic elements. Looking at the Rovers and the VTOL, I cant help but think that these sets are a smaller scale than many other Technic sets. I wonder if a Minifigure astronaut can fit in the cabin?

42178 Special Space Loader

42179: Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit

42180 Mars Crew Exploration Rover

48181 VTOL Heavy Cargo Spaceship LT81

Classic

Well… we said we wanted classic space…

We heard a lot of AFOLs were asking for Classic Space.

Ask no more, as we delivered! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/R7LyW0T6JB

— James May (@PoshHammer) December 2, 2023

Some thoughts

1. I am excited.
2. Virtually every set appears to feature a new colour for 2024 – reddish orange.
3. Reddish orange/ Black /White appears to be the new go-to colour scheme for the City and Technic Space sets.
4. The cabins on the Technic sets look like they might be about the right size for minifigures: but I am looking forward to seeing better quality images before I get inappropriately excited.
5. The figures call back to many of the human based themes – the updated Classic Space logo, different colourings. I love the fact that several feature backpacks, or armour suited to blasting rocks. The epaulettes on the Golden commander hark back to Captain Magenta of Space Police 2, while the overall design borrows heavily from the Legacy of Galaxy Squad. With different shaped helmets having different colours, it becomes apparent that they may well have different roles within the team
6. I hope that The LEGO Group will continue their fan service to the past, as they have with the Galaxy Explorer, Blacktron Invader, Lion Knights’ Castle, Forestmen’s hideout and Majisto’s Magical Workshop. I’d love to see other ships and bases of the past updated for the contemporary part palette.But I don’t expect to get much official notice in advance of their release. In the meantime, I cross my fingers.

We have a small, medium and larger flyer (but not a huge one… yet). We have medium and larger rovers, plus a small one in the set with the base. We gave a medium sized base and a larger one (with a launch site as well as a small rover)This feels very much to be a range along the lines of a typical Classic Space range. The shapes are different; the way they are marketed will be different. I suspect even the mission parameters will be different. I am preparing my new cardboard cutout backdrops in readiness for the new year… Perhaps I shall create others, too…

Will the new sets be a direct replacement for the classic craft of the 1970s? I doubt it. But the Spirit of Classic Space was one of hope and optimism as mankind extended beyond his bound at a time when the Cold War was continuing to leave people of all ages, around the world, more than a little nervous.

And perhaps that is what we need just at the moment!

I’d love to know what you are looking forward to in 2024: why not share your thoughts below.

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Until Next Time,

Play Well!