• LEGO continues its year of space-themed sets with two new releases in South Africa.
• This is joined by a third set that is a free Gift With Purchase (GWP).
• All three are exclusive to LEGO Stores / Great Yellow Brick for now.

LEOG has made 2024 the year of space as its cross-theme airlock system is joined by many more sets focused on interstellar travel. This continues as the company rolls out a mid-month releases of new sets which are now available in South Africa. Two regular sets are also joined by a free Gift With Purchase (GWP) that customers will get for spending over a certain threshold.

These are:

• 10341: NASA Artemis Space Launch System | 3 601 pieces | R4 799;
• 31212: The Milky Way Galaxy | 3 091 pieces | R3 799;
• 40687: Alien Space Diner | 239 pieces | Free for anyone spending over R2 000.

Starting with the first set of the bunch, the NASA Artemis Space Launch System is arguably the most anticipated of these mid-May sets.

This set features not just the Artemis spacecraft, but also the mobile launch tower and a few other features which results in a truly impressive final product that stands 70 centimetres tall.

“This accurate replica depicts real launch systems and includes retractable launch tower umbilicals, rocket support and crew bridge, detachable solid-fuel boosters and separating rocket stages. The set also includes a model of the Orion module with foldout solar panels, which can be placed inside the rocket or on a separate display stand. A printed plaque adds the finishing touch to this impressive model, perfect for home and office decor,” reads the official description.

This set joins the stable of now retired but beloved NASA sets such as Apollo Saturn V and Apollo 11 Lunar Lander. LEGO has no shortage of licenced and otherwise sci-fi space vehicles in its catalogue, so it’s always nice to see something from the real world.

31212: The Milky Way Galaxy is part of LEGO’s art line which used to focus on pseudo-pixel art made by builders using 1X1 pieces, but has evolved to be more 3D over the years.

This rendition of the Milky Way Galaxy continues the textured approach by replicating space with many weird and unpredictable pieces. Look closely and you will find LEGO flowers, cones, dishes, hairbrushes, snakes and more oddities.

This is a more abstract piece designed to make both the building and display more interesting, both of which were dinged by fans during the aforementioned earlier and flatter days of the theme.

We particularly like the piece which reads “you are here”, showing us our place in the galaxy, and the fact that the build is split into five distinct pieces so that multiple people can build it at the same time.

The finished product, which can also be hung on a wall thanks to specialised pieces which can hook onto nails, is 40 centimetres tall, 65 centimetres wide and five centimetres deep.

Lastly there’s 40687: Alien Space Diner which is not a set you can outright buy, but is instead given out for free to anyone who spends R2 000 or more and while stock of this GWP lasts.

These GWP sets are exclusive to the physical LEGO stores in South Africa and its online store, Great Yellow Brick. When shopping in person the cashier will let you know what GWP(s) you qualify for and, online, an option to select a GWP will pop up after adding enough sets to your cart.

The space diner has 239 pieces and features two of LEGO’s classic space spacemen – one in white and one in orange. The orange spaceman is of particular note as this colour was only offered once before, included in an expensive book.

While we always love to see wider availability of these desirable spacemen, it’s worth pointing out that this version is missing two important pieces: the classic smiley LEGO head, and the orange air tank. Thankfully the smiley head is a very common piece and the air tank was made available in other ways in the past, and can be found on places like Bricklink.

That aside this is a fun little set that also has no restrictions on the threshold. Anything you buy that can push you over the R2 000 threshold will unlock it, so grab whatever you like, space-themed or not.

We hope this GWP is still available when June rolls around as there are a lot of great new sets launching next month. If you don’t want to risk missing out – as these are only available while stocks last – you should pick it up sooner rather than later.