Spaceship! Spaceship! Spaceship! LEGO spaceships are beloved by fans around the world, not just Benny from The LEGO Movie. Here are the best of the bunch from back in the LEGO Space heyday.
When the minifigure arrived in 1978, it took no time at all to set off on incredible adventures, exploring everything from castles and city streets to the furthest reaches of the universe. LEGO Space was one of the first three themes released that year, becoming a staple of the LEGO catalogue for decades to come — as well as a cult favourite among collectors today.
LEGO Space began with what’s now referred to as Classic Space, with monochromatic astronauts and ships of blue and grey. As the theme evolved, more specific subthemes and factions worked their way into the lineup, including fan-favourites like Blacktron and Space Police. One thing all the factions shared was a love for wacky spaceship sets, using the full extent of the LEGO system at the time to create some truly memorable starships. So join Blocks, the monthly LEGO magazine for fans, on a trip through time and space to find the five best classic LEGO spaceships.
6980 Galaxy Commander
Come 1983, LEGO Space was starting to change up the usual blue and grey colour scheme and triangular shapes of its sets, with 6980 Galaxy Commander being a prime example. The set still uses blue for most of its highlights but uses white as the base colour rather than light grey. And it takes full advantage of wedge plates and slopes to make a ship with one of the most unique footprints of any Classic Space set. It comes complete with dual cockpits, a radar dish up top, and an excess of laser cannons on the front, ready to face whatever dangers are waiting out in the stars.
6973 Deep Freeze Defender
Ten years later, LEGO Ice Planet 2002 was Space’s newest adventure, seeing brave astronauts explore a frozen wasteland. The theme’s flagship, 6973 Deep Freeze Defender, shares a similar vibe to 6980, once again using blue and white as the primary colours and having dual cockpits at the front. Though it adds the signature Ice Planet touch with trans-neon orange windscreens and the theme’s logo scattered all over the ship. There’re even skis attached to the ship — a sign the astronauts are more than prepared for the frozen wastes ahead.
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6954 Renegade
In 1987, it was Blacktron that ruled the stars, and there was no ship more feared than 6954 Renegade. The ship is remarkably sleek for a set from the time, with a narrow fuselage and plenty of open space between all the ship’s features. The ship has space for a pilot at the front, as well as two detachable scout ships on either side. Neon green highlights add a welcome flash of colour to an otherwise pure-black model, completing the iconic look of Blacktron. It was recently reimagined as 10355 Blacktron Renegade, an epic modern upgrade of the classic model.
6986 Mission Commander
After Blacktron’s reign of terror came a swing towards law and order, with Space Police taking control in 1989, doing so from the mighty 6986 Mission Commander. This cruiser is one of Space’s densest ships, filling up its footprint with a thick central body and an equally built-up front cockpit. The set’s black and blue colours feel perfect for an intergalactic police force, and a handful of trans-neon red elements add beautiful details. With all its interior space, 6986 is primed to catch all of the galaxy’s worst — a Blacktron astronaut is even included for the massive ship to hunt down.
497 Galaxy Explorer
Hailing from a time when set numbers were a mere three digits, 1979’s 497 Galaxy Explorer perhaps isn’t as complicated as later spaceship sets, but it earns the top spot on this list thanks to its infinite charm — and admittedly a fair bit of collective nostalgia fans have for Classic Space. Despite its simple construction, the ship is still very nice to look at and comes with plenty of play features, including enough interior space for the astronauts and detachable scout ships, which would go on to become a staple of LEGO Space. The set also includes a very welcome two baseplates — one with a printed landing pad and the other with a small outpost and the iconic moulded craters. 10497 Galaxy Explorer is the modern version of the set, scaling it up for adult hands.
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Images courtesy of Brickset.com.