LEGO Creator 31152: Space Astronaut is out of this world [REVIEW]

vrijdag, 15 december 2023

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Ever since the launch (pun intended) of the LEGO Ideas Saturn V set, there have been several NASA-inspired sets over the years that have captured the imagination of space enthusiasts of all ages, from the lunar lander to the shuttle Discovery. LEGO is adding a buildable astronaut to this line-up of display-worthy sets. LEGO Creator 31152: Space Astronaut comes with 647 pieces and will be available on January 1st for US $54.99 | CAN $69.99 | UK £44.99

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Unboxing the parts and instructions

The set comes in a rectangular box with the Creator 3 in 1 branding, along with a Space graphic inspired by the classic theme on a silver triangle which ties all of the space-themed sets across multiple LEGO themes set to release in 2024. The front of the box shows the completed model against an illustrated background of the Earth from orbit. As usual with 3 in 1 sets, the other models are also shown in the lower right corner. All three models are shown again from different angles on the back of the box. A small inset image shows the astronaut mounted on the included stand.

Inside the box are 5 numbered white paper parts bags printed with a line drawing of an assortment of LEGO elements. There was also a small plastic bag with the metallic gold visor element. Most of the paper bags included small plastic bags for smaller pieces. The only downsides to the new paper bags are that you can’t get a hint of the parts inside until you open them, and the included perforation which I assume was to make the bags easier to open never opened as neatly as the plastic bags did.

The build

The build starts with a block of bricks, outward-facing brackets, and a pair of large ball joints for the arms to attach. A couple gold clips are added to hold tubes linked to the front of the torso. Car wheel fenders are used for the shoulders. Next is the back of the helmet made from large white curved parts. There are small printed computer panels and there is a place for something to attach where the astronaut’s face would be but we’ll come back to that later. A pair of lights mount to each side of the helmet, and there is a knob on each side to allow the astronaut to raise and lower the gold visor to provide shielding from the sun’s light unfiltered by the atmosphere. A small control panel is attached to the chest for the breathing tubes.

Before moving on, we finish the torso with the gold visor made from a domed element, and another wider car fender hinges to the top of the helmet. Finally, a hinged panel of white ingot pieces attaches to the front just above the control panel. Next comes a small waist and hip assembly including smaller ball joints for the legs to attach to.

The left and right arms are mirror builds that use the new 2×4 rounded tile to help cover the ball socket, and include 3 fingers and a thumb.

As you might expect, the legs are also mirror builds that end up feeling just a bit out of proportion to the marshmallow-shaped suites worn by real-life astronauts.

With the legs attached, the astronaut stands up okay as long as you lean it forward at the hips… I guess it’s a good thing there is no gravity in space, so that won’t be an issue. From the back, the odd proportions are even more evident, as it feels like the model is as top-heavy as it is.

The last part of the astronaut model is the backpack which serves as an extra-vehicle “jet-pack” and extended life-support system. The pack comprises two L-shaped sides with a pair of fuel tanks attached to the back and four extra lights on either side. The left side includes a joystick while the right side is a small computer screen printed on a slope.

The pack attaches to the astronaut’s back and each arm can be posed to activate the controls. The pack also serves as a counterbalance to the large helmet and shoulders.

Finally, a small black stand with an angled attachment point allows the finished model to be displayed at an angle for a more dramatic scene.

The finished model

The finished model is very well detailed and goes great with many previously released NASA space-themed LEGO sets like the lunar lander, the space shuttle Discovery, and the ISS set. My only complaint with the finished astronaut is that while the arms are fairly pose-able, the legs only move a small amount and easily pop off of the hip joint if moved past this point, so sitting the figure on a large-scale lunar rover would not be possible without an adjustment to the design.

Oh, remember that detail I mentioned about the inside of the helmet having small printed panels? Well, it turns out you can sit a minifigure inside to pilot the astronaut like a mech!

Conclusions and recommendations

I am a huge fan of both the classic space theme and the more realistic LEGO sets like those I mentioned above, all of which I own. I can honestly say that despite my minor issues with the pose-ability, this set would make a fantastic addition to any collection. And you better believe I’m thinking about building a rover to fit this spaceman. LEGO Creator 31152: Space Astronaut comes with 647 pieces and will be available on January 1st for US $54.99 | CAN $69.99 | UK £44.99

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.