Revealed: 10341 NASA Artemis Space Launch System and 31212 The Milky Way Galaxy

The universe is expanding! The 2024 Space "supertheme" spanning multiple LEGO® lines grows on 15 May to include another two sets: 10341 NASA Artemis Space Launch System from LEGO® Icons, and 31212 The Milky Way Galaxy from LEGO® Art – the first space set in that line.

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LEGO® Icons 10341 NASA Artemis Space Launch System
US$259.99/ €259.99/ £219.99/ AU$449.99/ 105990 HUF /2199 CNY / CA$339.99/ 6299 MXN
3,601 parts
Set 10341 on LEGO.com

LEGO® Art 31212 The Milky Way Galaxy
US$199.99/ €199.99/ £169.99/ AU$299.99/ 81490 HUF/ 1699 CNY/ CA$259.99/ 4999 MXN
3,091 parts
Set 31212 on LEGO.com

Both released 15 May 2024 for LEGO® Insiders; 18 May general release

Perhaps the most obvious thing to say is that both of these are large, impressive sets – but for different reasons. Let's check them out!

LEGO® Icons 10341 NASA Artemis Space Launch System

Artemis is a programme of NASA and partners ESA, JAXA, DLR, ASI, ISA and CSA, that intends to establish a permanent base on the Moon, with a view to enabling future missions to Mars. 

Artemis 1 was the first test flight of two the programme's three spacecraft: the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion. In late 2022, Orion (without a crew) was placed into lunar orbit by SLS, and then returned to Earth. 

This realistic LEGO model includes the SLS on its launchpad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with the Orion as removable payload.

The multistage rocket is based upon technology developed for the original Space Shuttle programme, and the segments of this LEGO version can be detached in sequence, including its two solid-fuel boosters. 

The mobile launch tower has retractable umbilicals, rocket support and a crew bridge and measures 30cm wide and 70cm tall (12 x 27.5"). 

The Orion spacecraft, which is powered by the European Space Agency’s European Service Module,  can be placed inside the rocket or on the separate display stand provided. It even has solar panels you can fold out. 

Completing the set is a printed plaque. No minifigures are included. There is a sticker sheet.

The greebling on this model is exquisite and, assuming the subject matter and style are to your liking, it will make a stunning display piece. It also has more than the usual level of play functionality for sets like this.

New pieces 

The New Elementary team have scoured the promotional images and we can't spot any new moulds created for this set. We did see some existing elements that have been recoloured, though:

• Bar 6L with Stop Ring (63965) in Orange
• Plate, Modified 1 x 8 with Door Rail (4510) in Dark Orange 
• Cone 4 x 4 x 2 Hollow No Studs (4742) in White
• Tile, Modified 4 x 6 with Studs on Edges (6180) in Dark Tan - lots are provided!
• Plate, Modified 1 x 6 with Train Wagon End (6583) in Light Bluish Gray – at last! It appeared in the old Light Gray from 1994 to 2002.

We can see many rare elements too, like Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Long Tow Ball (2508) in Dark Bluish Gray which hasn't been in sets for 12 years.

At 7.2c (US/€) per part, this represents fairly good value. The limited colour palette will also make it a decent parts pack, especially all the grey bars and greebles. 

Set 10341 on LEGO.com

LEGO® Art 31212 The Milky Way Galaxy

It may have nearly as many pieces as the Artemis, but this model is quite a different shape – and subject matter!

This wildly colourful mosaic of our home galaxy includes LEGO representations of its famous features such as Trappist-1, The Pleiades, The Crab Nebula and The Pillars of Creation.

Rather than the more traditional flat mosaic of plates and tiles, this LEGO® Art product uses a wide range of elements to give the galaxy a hint of 3D structure. There are some highly inventive parts choices here!

It measures 40 x 60cm (15 x 23") which you can certainly class as being microscale... as that's about a 1:158,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 ratio, if my maths is correct.

It comprises five vertical panels, each with its own building instructions booklet so that you can enjoy this intensive build process with others.

An original podcast hosted by Jack Gardner Vaa will be available, featuring guests Camille Bergin ("Galactic Gal", a former aerospace engineer), the wonderful science educator Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock (Chancellor of the University of Leicester) and Adam Vaughan (designer at TLG).

New elements

Despite the vast array of unusual, colourful elements on display, we could not spot any new recolours! (Can you?) This does make sense, because the designer will have had a lot of free rein in terms of choosing appropriate shapes and colours to represent each segment of space. It may have been fairly easy to stick with the existing elements inventory so as not to go to the expense of recolouring further pieces.

There is, however, a new and rather sweet printed tile marking the position of our Sun!

Another "new" element (which you can see out of focus towards the left of the blue hairbrush above) is the orange hermit crab (part 69945), which is not a new mould nor colour, but has never appeared unprinted before this.

Where this set really shines elements-wise, however, is in being such a great parts pack. The price-per-piece ratio is pretty good at 6.5c (US/€), although it's harder to judge given that there are a few very large pieces and a few thousand very small ones. 

If you like Transparent-Purple, note that the background of empty space is actually pieces in this colour laid upon a Black base, so you will be getting dozens of 1x2, 1x4, 1x1 round and 2x2 jumper tiles. 

Set 31212 on LEGO.com

Both sets are released on 15 May 2024 for LEGO® Insiders, and 18 May general release.

READ MORE: Discover LEGO® part 5404: at last, the Grateless Cheese Grater

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