Lego’s supersized Hubble deserves a little more shine
Lego has launched its largest Hubble Space Telescope model to date, a 1,252-piece Icons set designed at roughly minifigure scale. The review praises its detailed interior and display potential, but argues that its predominantly grey finish, stickers and simplified solar arrays make it feel less premium than its £119.99 price suggests.
The model measures 32cm tall and up to 38cm long and wide, and includes a single astronaut minifigure, a tool, a display stand and information plaque. It features opening doors, movable solar arrays and antennas, plus representations of Hubble’s mirrors, gyroscopes and instruments; however, it lacks replacement equipment for recreating servicing missions. The build is aimed at adults, takes an estimated six to 12 hours, and includes a small reference to Hubble’s 35th anniversary in 2025.
In short
- Detailed Lego Hubble model is impressive but not quite premium enough.
- The 1,252-piece set costs £119.99.
- Grey bricks, stickers and solar arrays draw criticism.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The Lego Hubble Icons set offers substantive educational and display value for adult collectors, featuring engaging mechanical complexity with opening doors, movable arrays, gyroscopes and detailed instruments across a striking 32-38cm display piece. The grey colouring accurately reflects the telescope's real appearance, whilst the estimated six to twelve-hour build time and robust engineering represent solid value within Lego's manufacturing constraints at this price point.
The case against
The £119.99 price point feels misaligned with the product's material compromises—predominantly grey colouring combined with stickers rather than printed elements undercuts the premium feel expected at this tier, whilst simplified solar arrays and lack of alternative components for recreating servicing missions limit both replayability and educational depth. For a prestige Icons set targeting adults, these design shortcuts suggest pricing reflects brand licensing rather than genuine product justification.
Explained simply
The Hubble Space Telescope is a space observatory launched in 1990 and operated by Nasa and the European Space Agency. It circles Earth and takes images and measurements of stars, galaxies and other objects, helping scientists study how the universe changes over time.
Hubble has been repaired and upgraded by astronauts on several space shuttle missions, which replaced or improved parts of the telescope while it was in orbit. Its long life and striking images have made it one of the best-known scientific instruments in space, as well as a subject for models aimed at space enthusiasts and collectors.