Review: LEGO Icons Hubble Space Telescope

Photos of space right on your shelf!

The Hubble Telescope is one of the most complicated bits of technology ever shot to space. Since it’s launch in 1990, it has provided images of deep space that researchers having been analysing since. It is a profoundly important part of our history, our future and our understanding of space.

So it only seems fitting that LEGO sought to make such a spectacle into a product for our shelves. With so many previous LEGO Space sets inspiring the youth of yesteryear, LEGO have made an adult focused set on the Hubble. But how does it hold up? Read on!

Around the telescope

The Hubble telescope model is a fantastically detailed model, sporting a slew of building techniques to make the build process easy and interesting the way through. With new recolours for the pistol accessory, LEGO opt to use these pistols and some harpoon elements to convey minute bits of detail that show careful planning in design.

The build has a number of exposed LEGO bar elements on the hull, as well as some flex tubes to wrap the model. Not only does this convey details of the model, but also allows the minifigure to be placed all over the exterior. As astronauts would normally need to make repairs on the Hubble, being able to move the figure around is great.

We also get a mix of stickers and printed elements in the set, most surprising of which were the shield elements. LEGO have also used these details to make the base more than a hunk of solid black pieces. We get actual scans done by the Hubble telescope to decorate the base, something I am very glad to see here.

We also get some plastic elements exclusive to this set to act as the solar panels. Previously these would be made of LEGO elements, and inflate the price count or sticker number greatly. It’s a good adaptation in my opinion.

Minifigure

The minifigure for this set is an astronaut, and a well detailed one at that. Classic collectors can see some similarities between CMF 26 Astronaut and CMF 15, but this one is the most detailed yet. All the prints on this figure are new, sporting new cables, microphones and NASA logos instead of LEGO’s own space brand. For a lot of Space fans, this figure has a lot to like, and keeps everything detailed and accurate.

And for those Hubble fans, did you know the astronaut is to scale of the telescope?!

Verdict

The Hubble Telescope is a fantastic bit of history to be conveyed into a LEGO set. I am not much of a space fan, but this is a model that I know well.

LEGO have done well to convey this bit of technology into a LEGO form, and have elevated its display potential with showcasing the scans of what it can do. It’s a great piece to have on a shelf and makes it easy to discuss and show what it does.

The model may be a bit simple at times, but for newer fans, this is fantastic. I genuinely like this set, and can recommend it easily.