Static display is for the grown-ups and the boring people. For kids, the kids at heart, and the fun ones, we demand dynamism. We are not satisfied with admiring a model of the NASA Artemis Space Launch System; we want to see it mid-flight after launch, and in the process of ditching its Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) during the separation stage. Well, that, my friends, is exactly what the new LEGO NASA Artemis Space Launch System Rocket (42221) offers: a buildable model that shows you how a rocket separates at launch in three stages. Now, that is fun.
A crank allows you to recreate the SRBs being separated from the core stage, which then detaches. It’s fun because it is an animation brought to life, without having to burn billions of dollars, and using millions of liters of cryogenic propellants and solid rocket fuels. As you turn the crank, the model simulates lifting off. Continue turning, and the SRBs proceed to separate. Keep going, and the upper stage, with its engine module, Orion spacecraft, and launch abort system, separates next. The best part is that all these happen within your home—or office, or wherever you have this set—and not 45 kilometers and beyond into the sky.
The model has been developed in collaboration with NASA and ESA, so it is as accurate as 632 pieces can possibly replicate. The set comes with four astronaut nanofigures, fun blue flame details, plus an information panel that will have the museum-worthy display part of the equation covered. When completed, the model measures an impressive 70 cm tall, 16 cm long, and 8 cm wide (over 27.5 x 6.5 x 3 inches). Recommended for ages 9 and up.
The LEGO NASA Artemis Space Launch System Rocket (42221) is available as we speak for US$59.99.
Images: LEGO.