Jun 18, 20222 min read

LEGO Icons 10497 Galaxy Explorer 90th Anniversary Set Officially Revealed | August 2022

Now LEGO's 90th Anniversary celebrations really begin as the surprise 90th Anniversary remake has been officially revealed at LEGO CON. 10497 Galaxy Explorer is a remaster of the LEGO Classic Space set of 497 Galaxy Explorer allowing a Castle set and a Space set to celebrate this iconic occasion. However, this is the much smaller but also much cheaper 18+ Anniversary set with 1254 pieces retailing for $99.99.

With this brand new Galaxy Explorer, the main focus is on the classic spaceship itself. No 3D moon baseplates are included as these went out of production along with the small transmission tower which also won't be included. The spaceship of the Galaxy Explorer takes up the whole set measuring 32cm wide and 52.5cm long allowing it to be a suitable display model yet still being playable.

For the cockpit and adjoining crew area, there are two 12 x 6 x 2 windscreens in transparent yellow just like the colour of the original design's windscreen. In general, the new spaceship is a lot less bumpy with the edges of the wing fully tiled and looking a lot smoother. This can be reflected even more throughout the whole detailed design which gives off a more modern look.

The rest of the cockpit includes a lot of small details for controlling the ship along with other major accessories and sleeping arrangements for the crew. The rear of the ship can also be opened directly down the middle allowing further access to the cockpit. There's also a small rover hidden in here which allows one of the four LEGO Minifigure astronauts (two white and two red classic suits) to drive around.