Review : LEGO Ideas 21321 International Space Station

As promised we quickly tour the LEGO Ideas set 21321 International Space Station whose official announcement took place a few hours ago. For this time, the LEGO designer has respected the intentions of the reference project submitted by fan designer fan designer Christoph Ruge (XCLD) and the official model is finally very close to the proposed idea.

With 864 pieces in the box, it was quickly settled. The last step which consists in assembling the eight solar panels which come to be fixed on the main beam is necessarily repetitive, but it is the subject who wants that, difficult to blame the designer.

The model is relatively fragile with a few connection points between the different modules which are satisfied with a single stud. Here too, it is the subject who wants this to stick as closely as possible to the reference construction. On the side of the parts "diverted" from their usual use because of the scale of the model, there are some ski poles for the antennas and can lids for the hatches but no barrels. I appreciate the effort.

My great regret about this set: The educational aspect, which could have been at the center of the product, is completely left out. The instruction booklet, which does not forget to do tons about the designers of the product and the different products marketed by LEGO on the same theme, does not even offer an exploded view of the station detailing the different modules added over the years by the countries involved in this incredible space adventure. I'm still looking for the "fascinating information about the ISS,"promised in the official product description ...

We still have a nice model to display on the corner of a cabinet with its mobile solar panels and its various modules that are necessarily detachable, since it is a LEGO product. The ISS is not a construction with a refined aesthetic and the LEGO version logically becomes a somewhat messy assembly of various and varied elements, but we find the main modules of the station and you can have fun trying to make the connection between those who are really represented on the LEGO version and those who have been overlooked.

I note in passing that the function of securing the shuttle to the station is not documented, so I used one of the additional parts to connect it to the station in a more or less realistic way by removing a part of the the cabin to simulate the opening of the cargo area.

The station is simply placed on its display, so it can be handled without having to remove several pins first. If you want to fly it around the living room, you can. I am a little dubious about this big black display: a version based on transparent parts might have been more suitable to give lightness to the construction.

I note in passing that the designer could not help but slip some blue pins that remain visible on the final product. It's ugly, but I think that LEGO forces its employees to use these parts on visible areas, there must be a specification somewhere stating that it is mandatory to clearly mark the LEGO spirit of the product. I see no other explanation.

The support is dressed in a monochrome pad printed plate with a badly centered pattern and the text of which turns gray. An effort on this detail would have been appreciated, especially for a pure exhibition product.

No stickers in this box. The inventory is also interesting, we find the usual 1x4 solar panels already seen in the LEGO Ideas sets. 21312 Women of NASA and Architecture 21043 San Francisco, delivered here in 64 copies. They are joined by two new pieces with the same pad printing, a 2x3 plate supplied in 46 copies and two 3x8 flags. The hatches of the different modules are optionally represented by the Tile 2x2 round already seen in LEGO Hidden Side sets 70423 Paranormal Intercept Bus 3000 and Ideas 21311 Voltron or by the 1x1 can lid present in many sets since 2015.

The three micro astronauts supplied in the box are identical to those supplied in the LEGO Ideas set 21309 NASA Apollo Saturn V., and the shuttle is similar to the one in the LEGO Ideas set 21312 Women of NASA, it's consistent.

In short, if you collect the different LEGO products on the same theme, you will be hard pressed to find a valid excuse not to fall for this little box sold for 70 €. Do not plan to turn your kids into future astronauts using this model, it is not really educational as it is and in my opinion it is a bit of a shame. It was an opportunity to make the product a great tool for parent / child relationships around a theme that makes both adults and young people dream.

As a bonus, a suggested presentation in "Gravity" mode. It's up to you.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at 31th January 2020 next at 23pm.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.