Choose a space set from another maker by subject first: a real NASA spacecraft, a licensed starship from film or TV, or a base for a space scene. Pick CaDA NASA Space Shuttle Discovery C56051W or COBI Space Shuttle Atlantis 1930 for a shuttle, BlueBrixx Stargate X-303 Prometheus 109734 for a licensed starship, and BlueBrixx Research & Command Center 108754 or Mould King Alien UFO Launch Pad 11024 for a base.
Lego's reference is the NASA Artemis Space Launch System 10341: 3,601 pieces and over 70 cm tall, with most of the build in its launch tower. The alternatives take other routes: printed parts instead of a sticker sheet, a Stargate licence, rooms that open or motors that lift a UFO.
Eight space sets at a glance
| Model | Pieces | Finished size (cm) | Age | Stand, plaque or base | Moving parts and extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lego NASA Artemis Space Launch System 10341 | 3,601 | over 70 tall, 27 wide, 30 deep | 18+ | Mobile launch tower, printed plaque, separate Orion stand | Retractable umbilicals and crew bridge, separating stages |
| Lego NASA Artemis Space Launch System Rocket 42221 | 632 | over 70 tall, 16 long, 8 wide | 9+ | Information panel | Hand crank for three-stage separation, 4 nanofigures |
| CaDA NASA Space Shuttle Discovery C56051W | 475 | 26 long, 18 wide, 22 tall | 8+ | Tensegrity stand with NASA plaque | Opening cargo bay, robotic arm with satellite |
| COBI Space Shuttle Atlantis 1930 | 685 | 34.5 long, 26 wingspan, 18.5 tall | Not stated | Stands for the shuttle and a mini Hubble | Movable elements, interior access, 1 astronaut |
| Lego Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D 10356 | 3,600 | 60 long, 48 wide, over 27 tall with stand | 18+ | Angled stand with plaque | 2 shuttlepods, 9 minifigures |
| BlueBrixx Stargate X-303 Prometheus 109734 | 2,301 | 49.5 × 22 × 25 (axes not labelled) | Not stated | Stand with Stargate plaque | Printed parts instead of stickers |
| BlueBrixx Space Pioneers Research & Command Center 108754 | 2,798 | 40 × 40 × 45.3 (axes not labelled) | 10+ | None, free-standing | Removable roofs and floors, airlocks, vehicle |
| Mould King Alien UFO Launch Pad 11024 | 2,053 | 49.1 long, 42.4 wide, 35.2 tall | 14+ | None, free-standing | Remote-controlled UFO lift and turn, lit platform |
Sizes describe the finished model as each maker publishes them, not the box. BlueBrixx gives three measurements without naming the height, so its figures appear exactly as listed.
Real rockets and shuttles
Lego's two Artemis sets both reach over 70 cm. The alternatives here are space shuttles instead, each on a stand and far lower: CaDA's compact Discovery and COBI's larger Atlantis.
Lego NASA Artemis Space Launch System 10341: the big launch-pad display
- Pieces: 3,601
- Age: 18 and up
- Rocket on a mobile launch tower, over 70 cm
This is the full launch scene. A multistage rocket with two solid-fuel boosters and the Orion capsule stands on a detailed mobile launch tower. On the tower, the umbilicals, rocket support and crew bridge retract. The boosters detach and the rocket stages separate.
Most of the build goes into that tower: 21 of the 27 bags, with the rocket coming together in the last six. Several markings come on a sticker sheet. Printed instructions are in the box, with a digital version in the Lego Builder app.
Choose 10341 if the launch pad is part of the appeal and you have room for a model over 70 cm tall on a 27 × 30 cm footprint. As of October 2026, 10341 is expected to retire soon.
Lego NASA Artemis Space Launch System Rocket 42221: the SLS as a Technic model from age 9
- Pieces: 632
- Age: 9 and up
- Hand crank shows three-stage separation
Lego's second Artemis set is about the launch sequence. Turn the hand crank and the rocket shows its separation in three stages. Lego developed the set with NASA and ESA, and it includes four astronaut nanofigures and an information panel.
With the rocket on top, this model also stands over 70 cm tall, but its footprint is only 16 × 8 cm. That fits shelves where the big tower would not. At 632 pieces, less than a fifth of 10341, and rated 9+, it suits a younger builder. Compared with 10341, it has no launch tower and none of its retracting parts.
CaDA NASA Space Shuttle Discovery C56051W: a compact licensed shuttle
- Pieces: 475
- Finished size: 26 cm long, 18 cm wide, 22 cm tall on its stand
- Age: 8+ (on the box)
- Included: tensegrity stand with NASA plaque, robotic arm with a satellite
- Licence and finish: official NASA licence, printed parts, no stickers
CaDA's Discovery is sized for a desk. On its tensegrity stand, tensioned chains hold the shuttle in place. The cargo bay doors open, and the robotic arm extends and retracts with a satellite attached, ready to deploy. Decoration is printed on the parts, so there are no stickers to apply.
With 475 pieces, it is a short build next to Lego's 3,601-piece rocket. The 8+ age on the box is the lowest in this guide, which makes it a sensible first space model or a gift for a young NASA fan.
Size is the trade-off. At 26 cm long, it is the smaller of the two shuttles here, and CaDA states no scale. If you want a bigger shuttle with more to build, COBI's Atlantis is the step up.
COBI Space Shuttle Atlantis 1930: a bigger shuttle with Hubble
- Pieces: 685, plus 1 astronaut figure
- Finished size: 34.5 cm long, 26 cm wingspan, 18.5 cm tall
- Scale and age: 1:100; no age stated by COBI
- Included: stand for the shuttle, mini Hubble telescope on its own stand
- Compatibility: COBI calls its blocks fully compatible with other brands
Atlantis belongs to COBI's Historical Collection and is the only set here with a stated scale. Movable elements and access to the interior add interest beyond the outer shape, and COBI uses printed decoration and brick nameplates.
Next to CaDA's Discovery, Atlantis is 8.5 cm longer and has 210 more pieces, and the Hubble adds a second subject. Its 685 pieces are close to the 632 of Lego's 42221, yet it stays 18.5 cm tall instead of rising to 70 cm. CaDA remains the pick if a NASA licence or a stated age matters to you.
COBI states neither an age nor a licence for this set; NASA appears only as the shuttle's operator. Listings do not always match the maker's details, so check them against COBI's own figures: 685 pieces and one astronaut.
Licensed starships for display
Franchise starships are display pieces first, and both sets here arrive with a stand and a plaque. In this comparison, Star Trek comes from Lego and Stargate from BlueBrixx, so your franchise decides the pick.
Lego Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D 10356: the licensed benchmark
- Pieces: 3,600
- Age: 18 and up
- Angled stand, 2 shuttlepods, 9 minifigures
Lego's Enterprise-D is a 3,600-piece display model for adult Star Trek fans. It rests on an angled display stand with an information plaque and a minifigure display tile. Two shuttlepods and nine minifigures complete the set.
With the stand, it measures 60 cm long, 48 cm wide and over 27 cm tall, so plan around the footprint rather than the height. BlueBrixx's Star Trek licence ended in 2025, which is why the BlueBrixx starship in this guide comes from Stargate. Choose the Enterprise-D for Star Trek, the nine minifigures and a large centrepiece.
BlueBrixx Stargate X-303 Prometheus 109734: a licensed Stargate ship on a stand
- Pieces: 2,301
- Finished size: 49.5 × 22 × 25 cm (BlueBrixx does not label the axes)
- Age: not stated by BlueBrixx
- Included: display stand with Stargate plaque, printed parts instead of stickers
- Bricks and instructions: standard brick format, free PDF instructions
BlueBrixx is a German maker, and the Prometheus is one of its officially licensed Stargate models. The stand and plaque make it a ready-made display, and the printed parts spare you a sticker sheet.
Buy the current 109734. It replaced the 2024 version 106837, which had 2,229 pieces instead of 2,301. BlueBrixx also makes the smaller Stargate F-302 109784, with 1,386 pieces and its own stand.
Against Lego's Enterprise-D, the Prometheus is the more compact licensed display: 2,301 pieces against 3,600, and 49.5 cm at its longest against 60 cm. BlueBrixx states no age, so judge from the piece count whether it suits a younger builder.
Bases and stations
A base gives a space scene its setting, and neither set here needs a stand. One is a station with rooms to open, the other a launch pad with motors.
BlueBrixx Space Pioneers Research & Command Center 108754: a station with rooms to open
- Pieces: 2,798
- Finished size: 40 × 40 × 45.3 cm (axes not labelled)
- Age: 10+
- Included: a tower, airlocks and a vehicle, with roofs and floors that lift off
- Bricks and instructions: standard brick format, free PDF instructions
The Command Center is a fictional research station from BlueBrixx's own Space Pioneers line. Lifting the roofs and floors reveals detailed interiors with play features. At 2,798 pieces, it is the largest non-Lego set in this guide.
BlueBrixx does not say which measurement is the height, so plan for at least 40 cm in every direction and 45.3 cm on one side. The 10+ rating and the rooms you can open suit a builder who wants to play in the station as well as display it.
Compared with Lego's 10341, you trade the rocket and its tower for a station with interiors.
Mould King Alien UFO Launch Pad 11024: a motorised launch pad
- Pieces: 2,053
- Finished size: 49.1 cm long, 42.4 cm wide, 35.2 cm tall
- Age: 14+
- Included: remote-control power system with 3 motors and an MK 4.0 power module
- Electronics: Mould King's own system, not Lego Powered Up
Mould King's launch pad is the only set in this guide with motors. Its remote-control power system raises, lowers and turns the UFO. An illuminated control platform, rotating radar dishes, a walkway and stairs to the craft fill out the base. The alien theme is generic, with no licence behind it.
A 14+ rating and a 49.1 × 42.4 cm footprint point to a teenage or adult builder with a deep shelf or sideboard. Its motors and power module belong to Mould King's own system, so plan to use them with this set rather than in Lego builds.
Next to Lego 10341, this is a fictional launch pad rather than NASA hardware, and its craft moves under power. Choose it if motion and light matter more to you than a real-world subject.
Scale, stands and stickers
Only COBI states a scale: 1:100 for Atlantis. CaDA, BlueBrixx and Mould King give none, and neither does Lego for its sets here. Compare by centimetres instead, for example 34.5 cm for COBI's shuttle against 26 cm for CaDA's.
Stands decide how a model sits on a shelf. Both shuttles and both starships come with one. CaDA, BlueBrixx and Lego's Enterprise-D add a plaque, while COBI uses brick nameplates and gives the mini Hubble a stand of its own. Lego's 10341 stands on its launch tower and adds a printed plaque and a small stand for the Orion module, while the two bases sit directly on the shelf.
Decoration is the other visible difference. Lego's 10341 uses a sticker sheet for several markings. CaDA and BlueBrixx use printed parts and no stickers on the Discovery and the Prometheus, and COBI's Atlantis also has printed decoration. If you would rather not apply stickers, the CaDA Discovery and the BlueBrixx Prometheus avoid them.
Common questions about space sets
Do these sets connect to Lego bricks?
BlueBrixx lists its bricks as standard format, and COBI calls its blocks fully compatible with other brands. CaDA makes no compatibility statement for the Discovery. Mould King's motors and power module form their own system. Even where bricks connect, scale and colours can differ, so plan each model as a separate display. Our guide to Lego alternatives compares more brands and their compatibility.
Which space set suits a younger builder?
CaDA's Discovery has the lowest age on its box, 8+, followed by Lego's smaller Artemis rocket 42221 at 9+ and BlueBrixx's Command Center at 10+. Mould King rates its launch pad 14+, and Lego's 10341 and 10356 are 18+. COBI and BlueBrixx state no age for Atlantis and the Prometheus.
Which space set should you buy?
For a NASA shuttle on a small shelf, CaDA NASA Space Shuttle Discovery C56051W is licensed, sticker-free and rated 8+. For a bigger shuttle with Hubble, choose COBI Space Shuttle Atlantis 1930 at 34.5 cm long and a stated 1:100.
For the full Artemis launch, Lego 10341 is the reference, and 42221 builds the SLS as a Technic model from age 9. For a licensed starship, pick Lego's Enterprise-D 10356 for Star Trek or BlueBrixx X-303 Prometheus 109734 for Stargate.
For a base, choose BlueBrixx Research & Command Center 108754 for rooms to open, or Mould King Alien UFO Launch Pad 11024 for motorised movement.
To compare the makers in more depth, read our BlueBrixx vs Lego comparison, the Lego vs COBI guide and our Mould King vs Lego guide. For another theme, see castle building sets beyond Lego.
