🤯 Hubble Lego: Unlocking Space Secrets! 🚀

THE LEGACY OF HUBBLE: A LEGO ICON
The orbiting observatory in minifigure scale. For 35 years, the Hubble Space Telescope has looked out into the Universe. Now, Lego is inviting builders to look inward with its latest model of the orbiting observatory. The new Lego Icons Hubble Space Telescope (set no. 11382) was released on August 1 for $140 at the toy company’s stores and its online shop. The 1,252-piece kit builds a 15-inch-long (38-cm) desktop model that is about twice as large as the previously released Lego Hubble models. The Icons Hubble is the first to be sized in comparison to a Lego minifigure, such that the included astronaut provides a sense of scale for the telescope.

THE ICONIC RELEASE: SET DETAILS AND SCALE
The 1,252-piece kit builds a 15-inch-long (38-cm) desktop model that is about twice as large as the previously released Lego Hubble models. The Icons Hubble is the first to be sized in comparison to a Lego minifigure, such that the included astronaut provides a sense of scale for the telescope. The set was released on August 1st for $140 and includes a 1:35 scale representation of the Hubble Space Telescope, aligning with the typical 1:35 to 1:45 scale of Lego minifigures. This scale allows for a tangible connection between the model and the real-world instrument.

A CELEBRATION OF NASA’S “MOTHER” – NANCY GRACE ROMAN
The previous three Hubble models had different approaches. Two were scaled to their companion orbiters: Lego Discovery Space Shuttle—STS-31, set 7470, from 2003 and Lego Icons NASA Space Shuttle Discovery, 10283, released in 2021. The third was a desktop model for the minifigure tribute to astronomer Nancy Grace Roman, the “Mother of Hubble,” included with the Women of NASA set, no. 21312, in 2017. This latest iteration directly incorporates Roman's legacy into the model.

LAUNCH AND TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
The real Hubble Space Telescope was launched on the space shuttle Discovery and deployed by the STS-31 crew in 1990. It is 43.5 feet long (13.2 meters), making the new Lego desktop model about 1:35 scale. (Lego minifigure scale is generally accepted to be between 1:35 and 1:45 scale, as the minifigures are not proportionally accurate.) The design meticulously captures the telescope's dimensions and proportions, offering a detailed representation of this iconic spacecraft.

INSIDE THE OBSERVATORY: DETAIL AND FUNCTIONALITY
In addition to being faithful to the overall shape and exterior details of the Hubble Space Telescope, the new Lego Icons model is the first to build representations of the science instruments and interior components that enable Hubble to operate in Earth orbit. “In close collaboration with our partners at NASA and ESA, we’ve recreated authentic engineering details inside and out,” reads the designers’ introduction to the set in the book. “Each section of your model corresponds to real instruments that helped discover remarkable new information about our universe.” The aperture door at the top of the telescope opens, affording a view of the secondary mirror assembly inside.

INSTRUMENTATION AND INTERNAL COMPONENTS
The aperture door at the top of the telescope opens, affording a view of the secondary mirror assembly inside. Two panels along the upper and lower body of the Hubble can also be removed to expose the mirrors, as well as the central baffle that directs the light from stars and galaxies to the observatory’s instruments and primary mirror. The set accurately depicts the key instruments that allowed Hubble to function, including the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS), Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS), Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), and Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS).

SERVICE MISSIONS AND CURRENT CONFIGURATION
As part of its storied history, the Hubble telescope was visited by astronauts five times, first to correct for an optical flaw and then to upgrade its capabilities. This Lego model is configured to reflect the Hubble’s current configuration, following its fifth servicing in 2009. Included in the build are the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS), Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS), Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), and Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS), which remain active on the real satellite today.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS: SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND EXTERNAL FEATURES
Other details include the three gyroscopes and five guidance sensors, as well as, externally, its communications antennas and two solar array wings. “Hubble’s solar array panels were changed twice. For this model, we chose the latest version installed,” reads a note in the instructions. The Lego designers included more details in their build than the instruction book identifies, using both brick parts and decals.

BUILDING THE LEGEND: AESTHETICS AND ACCURACY
The dark circular openings on the aft body are the external light paths for the trackers. decal-adorned plaque lists facts about the observatory, including the dates of its five space shuttle servicing missions. The stand also includes three translucent pre-printed parts displaying three of the telescope’s most famous observations: the Eagle Nebula (“Pillars of Creation”), Whirlpool Galaxy, and the Butterfly Nebula.

A LEGACY OF DISCOVERY
“The astounding images and data provided by the Hubble Space Telescope have brought the farthest reaches of the universe closer to Earth. We’re just beginning to comprehend its historic significance, and it continues to inspire scientists and spark the public’s imagination,” wrote the designers in the introduction to the set’s instructions. “We wanted to honor that legacy.”

THE ASTRONAUT’S PRESENCE
One more hidden detail: the astronaut minifigure is decorated so as to be wearing an extravehicular mobility unit (EMU), the spacesuit worn for the servicing missions. It does not reproduce the NASA insignia or any flight emblems, but on the back of its portable life support system (PLSS) backpack appears NASA’s celebratory logo for the Hubble Space Telescope’s first 35 years.