LEGO Puts 8.8 Million Pounds of Thrust on Your Desk and the Milky Way Galaxy on the Wall

The SLS is at the time of writing the most powerful rocket flown in an actual mission. It took off only once so far, at the end of 2022, pushing a spacecraft called Orion on an uncrewed trip around the Moon. It was the demo mission for the two pieces of hardware that will form the backbone of the American space agency's Artemis Moon exploration program.

The SLS is a beast of a machine. Even in its initial form, the Block 1 used during the Artemis I mission, it shattered records. 8.8 million pounds of thrust, 15 percent more than what the previous record holder, the Saturn V rocket of the Apollo Moon program, were pumped out of the four RS-25 engines of the core stage and the two solid rocket boosters strapped to each side.

Block 1 is just the first step to even more potent variants of the SLS. The upcoming Block 2, for instance, which will take flight starting with the Artemis IX mission, will be capable of generating a staggering 9.5 million pounds of thrust.

All of that is impressive enough to ensure the rocket does make it into everyone's homes in toy form. To our knowledge, though, the LEGO set that was just announced this week is the first one officially dedicated to the rocket.

The LEGO Ideas project we discussed back in February comprised a total of 2,661 plastic bricks which came together to form the SLS rocket and the Orion spaceship. The set had been designed in such a way as to allow builders to put together two versions of the rocket, the Block 1 and Block 1B that will be used in the real world for missions IV through IX.

When complete, the design created by Matthew Nolan and Valerie Roche stood 35 inches (89 cm) high in Block 1 configuration and 39 inches (one meter) in Block 1B guise.

LEGO does not officially say if the set it launched into the world this week is the one submitted during the Ideas campaign, but chances are it is, despite some significant alterations to the original design.

The official name for the set is the LEGO Icons NASA Artemis Space Launch System, and it comprises no less than 3,601 pieces that come together to form both the rocket and the Orion spacecraft. Accompanying them is a plastic brick replica of the mobile launch tower, complete with retractable umbilicals, rocket support, and crew bridge.

The Orion spacecraft is pretty complex too, being designed to include the foldout solar panels. To avoid interference with the main SLS rocket, a separate display stand is included in the package.

The dimensions of the LEGO SLS are different from the initial design as well, as the entire thing is much smaller. Available in only one version, Block 1, the rocket stands 28 inches (70 cm) tall and 11 inches (27 cm) wide, with a launch tower included.

The LEGO Icons NASA Artemis Space Launch System is already listed on the toymaker's website, but it won't actually become available before May 18. The asking price for it is $259.99.

To make sure nobody misses the news about the toy SLS, LEGO accompanied the announcement of its release with news of a LEGO Art piece the likes of which we don't get to see all that often.

It's a replica of the Milky Way Galaxy, a thing that looks like a 3D painting made with cubic bits of plastic, and that's because, well, that's exactly what it is.

The Milky Way comes together after no less than 3,091 pieces are assembled in layers (there are five different panels to complete) in a wall art set that shows some of our galaxy's most important places, including the Trappist-1 red dwarf star, the Pleiades star cluster, the Crab Nebula, and the Pillars of Creation. There's even a "You are here" sign to make sure you know your place in the Universe.

The LEGO Art The Milky Way Galaxy set is accompanied by a QR code that once scanned lets people in on a "specially curated podcast" about the galaxy our planet resides in. Hanger elements are also provided to ensure the design takes its rightful place on your wall.

LEGO is selling the Milky Way for $199.99, and just as is the case with the SLS, even if it's already listed on its website, the design won't become available before May 18.

Together, the two new sets form perhaps the most exciting LEGO offering for space enthusiasts. Just imagine how the SLS and Orion will look on the backdrop of the Milky Way in the most visible place in your house.