The iconic logo of Classic Space as seen on the astronauts' spacesuits.
Classic Space is not an official theme in the strict sense but rather a term that refers to the Space sets that were released before 1987 and shared some common characteristics that set them apart from the following Space sets. Most importantly, all Classic Space minifigures featured the old visorless helmets that were eventually ditched in favor of newer helmets with movable visors in 1987. There were also no truly different factions as in the time after 1987. All astronauts of Classic Space were peaceful explorers and there were no antagonist groups.
The initial introduction of the Space theme marks also the beginning of Classic Space.
Overview
The first Lego Space sets were a leap forward in Lego design. Compared to the Lego Company's previous releases of spacecraft sets Space Rocket (year unknown, probably 1950s) Rocket Base (1973) and Moon Landing(1975) this new theme of sets boasted new parts and building techniques previously unseen. Although plenty of basic bricks were used, there were now parts with finer detail used in smoother-looking ships and multi-purpose vehicles.
Despite curiosities and oddities such as steering wheels used to direct spacecraft, and often no inflight pilot protection other than a spacesuit, simple new constructs sparked builders' imaginations. Starting with spaceships and basic wheeled vehicles, the theme developed, occasionally mirroring science fiction designs. As Lego Space expanded, the basic pattern of ground-buggies, walking robots, small and large spaceships, and bases emerged.
Early Space sets had a simplistically modern yet colorful charm unrivaled by any other mass-produced science-fiction toy of the time. Many of the theme's more specialized pieces had yet to be developed, although when Space was first introduced, many parts were new, or were older parts made in new colors. Examples of these early simple sets include: Rocket Launcher (1978), Space Shuttle, and Mobile Tracking Station (both 1979).
Perfectly suited for utilitarian Lego Space, gray had finally become a major color for a Lego theme, especially as more plate-type parts were made in that color. Most often, gray Space sets were paired with green windows. The other predominant colors were blue with yellow windows. With the introduction of the Starfleet Voyager in 1981, classic spaceships began to appear in white, with blue canopies.
Trivia
The Classic Space logo later reappeared in sets of Futuron and Space Police I. It was also featured on several jackets of Town minifigures which first appeared in 4513 Grand Central Station from 2003. The logo of the Mars Mission theme from 2007 seems to be inspired by the Classic Space logo.
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Classic Space. A group of Lego fans designed a series of MOCs inspired by Classic Space sets. [1]
Vehicles and facilities
Popular spaceships and vehicles from the Classic Space era include: Galaxy Explorer (1979), Starfleet Voyager (1980), Mobile Rocket Transport (1982), Galaxy Commander (1983), and Cosmic Fleet Voyager (1986).
The major surface bases were: Space Command Center (1978), Alpha-1 Rocket Base (1979), Beta-1 Command Base (1980), Intergalactic Command Base (1984), and Polaris-I Space Lab (1987).
Baseplates from this era: Space Landing Plates (1979), and Crater Plates (1979)
Sets
| Reference | Name | Released | Minifigures | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Space sets | ||||
| 358 | Rocket Base | 1973 | ||
| 367/565 | Moon Landing | 1975 | 3 White astronauts | |
| 801 | Space Rocket | |||
| Classic Space sets (U.S./European #) | ||||
| 453/305 | 2 Crater Plates | 1979 | ||
| 454/306 | Landing Plates | 1979 | ||
| 442/891 | Space Shuttle | 1979 | White astronaut | |
| 452/894 | Mobile Tracking Station | 1979 | White astronaut | |
| 462/897 | Rocket Launcher | 1978 | Red astronaut, White astronaut | |
| 483/920 | Alpha-1 Rocket Base | 1979 | 2 White astronauts, Red astronaut | |
| 487/924 | Space Cruiser | White astronaut, Red astronaut | ||
| 493/926 | Space Command Center | 1978 | 2 White astronauts, 2 Red astronauts | |
| 497/928 | Galaxy Explorer | 1979 | 2 White astronauts, 2 Red astronauts | |
| 885 | Space Scooter | Red astronaut | ||
| 886 | Space Buggy | White astronaut | ||
| 889 | Radar Truck | Red astronaut | ||
| 918 | Space Transport | Red astronaut | ||
| 928 | Galaxy Exploer | 2 White Astronauts, 2 Red Astronauts | ||
| 1498 | Spy-Bot | U.S. only, may have only been available with 1510 Bonus pack | ||
| 1499 | Twin Starfire | 2 Yellow | ||
| 1526 | Space Radar Buggy | Yellow astronaut | Unreleased | |
| 1557 | Space Scooter | Red astronaut | ||
| 1558 | Mobile Command Trailer | Black astronaut, Yellow astronaut | ||
| 1580 | Lunar Scout | Blue astronaut | Canada/U.S. only | |
| 1593 | Lever Bros Space Set | Yellow astronaut, Red astronaut | Europe only | |
| 1968 | Space Express | Black astronaut | Canada/U.S. only though may have been on limited release in Europe | |
| 6701 | Space Mini-Figures | 2 Yellow, 2 Red, 2 White astronaut | ||
| 6702 | Space Mini-Figures | 1 Yellow, 1 Red, 1 Blue, 1 Black astronaut | ||
| 6750 | Light & Sound Sonic Robot | Blue astronaut, Red astronaut | ||
| 6780 | Light & Sound XT - Starship | Yellow astronaut | ||
| 6783 | Sonar Transmitting Cruiser | Red astronaut, Yellow astronaut | ||
| 6801 | Rocket Sled | White astronaut | ||
| 6802 | Space Probe | Yellow astronaut | U.S. only | |
| 6803 | Space Patrol | White astronaut | ||
| 6804 | Surface Rover | White astronaut | ||
| 6805 | Astro Dasher | Blue astronaut | ||
| 6806 | Surface Hopper | Red astronaut | ||
| 6807 | Space Explorator | Yellow astronaut | Europe only, may have only been available with 1999 value pack | |
| 6808 | Galaxy Trekkor | Blue astronaut | ||
| 6809 | XT-5 And Droid | Blue astronaut | ||
| 6820 | Starfire I | Blue astronaut | ||
| 6821 | Shovel Buggy | White astronaut | ||
| 6822 | Space Shuttle | Red astronaut | ||
| 6823 | Surface Transport | Yellow astronaut | ||
| 6824 | Space Dart-I | Blue astronaut | ||
| 6825 | Cosmic Comet | White astronaut | ||
| 6826 | Crater Crawler | Yellow astronaut | ||
| 6827 | Strata Scooter | Blue astronaut | ||
| 6841 | Mineral Detector | Red astronaut | ||
| 6842 | Shuttle Craft | Red astronaut | ||
| 6844 | Seismologic Vehicle | White astronaut | ||
| 6845 | Cosmic Charger | White astronaut | ||
| 6846 | Tri-Star Voyager | Red astronaut | ||
| 6847 | Space Dozer | Yellow astronaut | ||
| 6848 | Interplanetary Shuttle | Red astronaut | U.S. only, may have only been available with 1969 value pack | |
| 6849 | Satellite Patroller | Yellow astronaut | ||
| 6861 | X-1 Patrol Craft | Red astronaut | ||
| 6870 | Space Probe Launcher | Red astronaut | ||
| 6871 | Star-Patrol Launcher | White astronaut, Red astronaut | ||
| 6872 | Lunar Patrol Craft | White astronaut | ||
| 6874 | Moonrover | Red astronaut, Yellow astronaut | ||
| 6880 | Surface Explorer | Yellow astronaut | ||
| 6881 | Lunar Rocket Launcher | White astronaut | ||
| 6882 | Walking Astro Grappler | Black astronaut | ||
| 6883 | Terrestrial Rover | White astronaut | ||
| 6890 | Cosmic Cruiser | Red astronaut | ||
| 6891 | Gamma-V Laser Craft | Black astronaut | ||
| 6892 | Modular Space Transport | 2 Yellow astronauts | ||
| 6901 | Mobile Lab | Red astronaut, White astronaut | Canada/U.S. only | |
| 6926 | Mobile Recovery Vehicle | White astronaut, Yellow astronaut | ||
| 6927 | All-Terrain Vehicle | White astronaut, Red astronaut | ||
| 6928 | Uranium Search Vehicle | White astronaut, Black astronaut | ||
| 6929 | Starfleet Voyager | 1980 | Black astronaut | |
| 6930 | Space Supply Station | 2 Yellow astronauts, 2 Red astronauts | ||
| 6931 | FX-Star Patroller | Yellow astronaut | ||
| 6940 | Alien Moon Stalker | Red astronaut, Blue astronaut | ||
| 6950 | Mobile Rocket Transport | 1982 | Yellow astronauts | |
| 6951 | Robot Command Center | Black astronaut, Yellow astronaut, Red astronaut | ||
| 6952 | Solar Power Transporter | 2 Red astronauts, White astronaut, Black astronaut | ||
| 6970 | Beta-1 Command Base | 1980 | 2 White astronauts, 2 Red astronauts | |
| 6971 | Intergalactic Command Base | 1984 | Blue astronaut, Black astronaut, Yellow astronaut | |
| 6972 | Polaris-I Space Lab | 1987 | 3 Blue astronauts | |
| 6980 | Galaxy Commander | 1983 | 2 White astronauts, 2 Yellow astronauts, 1 Red astronaut | |
| 6985 | Cosmic Fleet Voyager | 1986 | Yellow astronaut, Black astronaut, Red astronaut, White astronaut | |
Value Packs
Value packs were released between 1983 and 1987 comprising of 3 separate sets and prove popular with classic space collectors.
| Reference | Name | Released | Minifigures | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1507 | Space Value Pack | 1 Red, 1 black, 1 yellow astronaut | Includes 1557, 1558 | |
| 1510 | Unnamed Bonus Pack | 2 yellow astronaut | Includes 1498, 1499 | |
| 1969 | 3 Set Special | 1 Yellow, 1 Red, 1 White astronaut | Includes 6825, 6847, 6848 | |
| 1977 | Legoland Space System Value Pack | 1 Yellow, 1 Red, 1 White astronaut | Includes 6801, 6822, 6823 | |
| 1983 | Value Pack | 1 Blue, 1 Red, 1 White astronaut | Includes 889, 886, 6824 | |
| 1999 | Space Value Pack | 2 Yellow, 1 Red astronaut | Includes 6822, 6823, 6807 |
Other sets
Other more obscure miscellaneous Classic Space sets include:
| Reference | Name | Released | Minifigures | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0012 | Space Mini-Figures | 2 Red astronaut | ||
| 0013 | Space Mini-Figures | 2 White astronaut | ||
| 0014 | Space Mini-Figures | 2 Yellow astronaut | ||
| 0015 | Space Mini-Figures | 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1 White astronaut | ||
| 12 | Blue Space Elements | |||
| 14 | Space Minifigs | 2 Red, 2 White astronaut | ||
| 6711 | Lego Minifigures | 1 Yellow, 1 Red, 2 White astronaut |
External links
- Classic-space.com Community centered on Lego Space
- Neo Classic Space 30th anniversary fan project