— LEGO is blasting off into 2024 with a slew of new space sets that for the first time span several of its most popular themes.

LEGO has introduced new "Space" branding that is shared across the packaging for several of its well-established product lines. Between City, Classic, Creator, DREAMZzz, DUPLO and Friends, more than a dozen building sets were released for sale on New Year's Day (Jan. 1), with another four Technic sets scheduled to follow in March.

Most of the new sets are themed around futuristic missions to Mars (or other planets), a subject LEGO has focused on before but also a departure from its most recent releases that were based on NASA missions, including the Perseverance rover, and the agency's Artemis Program aimed at returning humans to the moon.

The exception among the new-for-2024 products is the Creator Space Astronaut (item 31152; $54.99), which builds a spacesuit and maneuvering unit similar to (though not directly based on) the type worn by Bruce McCandless and other early space shuttle astronauts to demonstrate tether-less spacewalks.

Designed for boys and girls who are 9 years of age or older, the Space Astronaut is a "3in1" build, such that directions are included to reuse the same parts to also build a posable dog wearing a spacesuit and a futuristic "space viper jet." Even the astronaut has a slight sci-fi twist to it; rather than there being a person inside, lifting the helmet visor reveals a cockpit for a LEGO minifigure to sit inside, making the spacesuit a hidden a mech (or mechanical suit).

Space City

Seven of the new space sets are part of LEGO City line. Though LEGO City is mostly populated by the buildings and vehicles that you would expect from a sprawling urban center, it also has included some space-related sets, especially when themed to operating a launch facility or spaceport for the city's residents.

In 2022, LEGO worked with NASA to create a series of City sets that were based on the agency's Artemis program. Though not models, the builds shared enough details in common with actual and planned hardware to be marketed with NASA's logo and Artemis renderings on the boxes.

Artemis is launching astronauts to the moon in order to learn what is needed to eventually send crews to Mars and further out into deep space. So perhaps the 2024 City Space sets are an extension of that future.

The 2024 sets include a Space Construction Mech (item 60428; $10.99); a Spaceship and Asteroid Discovery (60429; $19.99); an Interstellar Spaceship (60430; $19.99); a Space Explorer Rover and Alien Life (60431; $34.99); a Command Rover and Crane Loader (60432; $84.99); a Modular Space Station (60433; $109.99; and a Space Base and Rocket Launchpad (60434; $134.99).

Though still solidly science fiction, the "alien life" included in some of the sets is more organic in appearance then previous LEGO aliens that tended to follow the classic little green (or grey) men approach.

Space for everyone

The City sets are recommended for children ages 6 to 8 and older, depending on the complexity of the build. For even younger space cadets, there is the new DUPLO Space Shuttle Adventure (10422; $59.99), aimed at toddlers as young as 3 years old.

The colorful kit includes a working winch and spinning propeller for little astronauts to encounter when repairing their rocket on a spacewalk.

LEGO Friends, which is intended primary for young girls, has two new space sets. The Mars Space Base and Rocket (42605; $79.99) features four rearrangeable "pods" dedicated to science, communications, growing food and relaxing, as well as an airlock. Mini-dolls Olivia, Julian and Aveline are also included, together with their "space cat" Jones.

Back on Earth, there is also the Friends Stargazing Camping Vehicle (42603; $29.99), which has a buildable toy telescope, a 4x4 vehicle with camping trailer and self-folding tent, two mini-dolls, a dog and a hedgehog. Kids can use to the set's backdrop to create constellations and position planets in the night sky.

The Jan. 1 sets are rounded out by a 450 piece Classic colorful brick kit, Creative Space Planets (11037; $34.99), which includes the parts for multiple small space-related builds, and Mr. Oz's Space Car (71475; $29.99), part of the LEGO DREAMZzz line that images what kids could build if they could harness the power of dreams.

The "space car" is the most fantastical model among the new sets, but shares the same "Space" branding as the others released on Monday.

More 'Space' to come

For those looking for even more space in 2024, LEGO has at least four additional "Space" sets coming in March.

Technic will join the collection with its first sci-fi-leaning builds, but with the twist that NASA helped designing the Mars Crew Exploration Rover (42180; $149.99), Surface Space Loader LT78 (42178; $34.99) and VTOL Heavy Cargo Spaceship LT81 (42181; $109.99) coming on March 1.

Also, just in time for the total solar eclipse that will cross North America on April 8, LEGO Technic will also introduce the Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit (42179; $74.99), a working orrery perfect for demonstrating how and why eclipses occur.

Two poly-bagged sets are out now: the LEGO City Space Hoverbike (30663; $4.99) and a smaller, simplified version of the LEGO Technic NASA Mars Rover Perseverance (30682) that was released in 2023.