— For 35 years, the Hubble Space Telescope has looked out into the universe. Now, LEGO is inviting builders to look inward with its latest model of the orbiting observatory.

The new LEGO Icons Hubble Space Telescope (set no. 11382) was released on Saturday (Aug. 1) for $139.99 at the toy company's stores and its online shop. The 1,252-piece kit builds a 15-inch-long (38-cm) desktop model that is about twice as large as the previously released LEGO Hubble models.

The Icons Hubble is the first to be sized in comparison to a LEGO minifigure, such that the included astronaut provides a sense of scale for the telescope.

Of the previous three Hubble models, two were scaled to their companion orbiters: LEGO Discovery Space Shuttle – STS-31, set 7470, from 2003 and LEGO Icons NASA Space Shuttle Discovery, 10283, released in 2021. The third was a desktop model for the minifigure tribute to astronomer Nancy Grace Roman, the "Mother of Hubble," included with the Women of NASA set, no. 21312, in 2017.

The real Hubble Space Telescope was launched on the space shuttle Discovery and deployed by the STS-31 crew in 1990. It is 43.5 feet long (13.2 meters), making the new LEGO desktop model about 1:35 scale. (LEGO minifigure scale is generally accepted to be between 1:35 and 1:45 scale as the minifigures are not proportionally accurate.)

Open wide (field camera)

According to the set's instruction book, in addition to being faithful to the overall shape and exterior details of the Hubble Space Telescope, the new LEGO Icons model is the first to build representations of the science instruments and interior components that enable Hubble to operate in Earth orbit.

"In close collaboration with our partners at NASA and ESA, we've recreated authentic engineering details inside and out," reads the designers' introduction to the set in the book. "Each section of your model corresponds to real instruments that helped discover remarkable new information about our universe."

The aperture door at the top of the telescope opens, affording a view the of the secondary mirror assembly inside. Two panels along the upper and lower body of the Hubble can also be removed to expose the mirrors, as well as the central baffle that directs the light from stars and galaxies to the observatory's instruments and primary mirror.

As part of its storied history, the Hubble telescope was visited by astronauts five times, first to correct for an optical flaw and then to upgrade its capabilities. This LEGO model is configured to reflect the Hubble's current configuration, following its fifth servicing in 2009.

Included in the build are the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS), Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS), Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) and Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS), which remain active on the real satellite today. Other details include the three gyroscopes and five guidance sensors, as well as externally, its communications antennas and two solar array wings.

"Hubble's solar array panels were changed twice. For this model, we chose the latest version installed," reads a note in the instructions.

Labeled and unlabeled

The LEGO designers included more details in their build than the instruction book identifies, using both brick parts and decals.

On the base of the telescope, a LEGO steering wheel substitutes for the capture mechanism that may be used by a future robotic or crewed vehicle to boost or deorbit the telescope. Stickers are applied nearby to represent the vents used to relieve pressure inside Hubble's body while also preventing stray external sunlight from entering and interfering with observations.

Decals are also applied to simulate the ports for the three fixed head star trackers, which follow specific stars in their field of view to help determine the telescope's attitude. The dark circular openings on the aft body are the external light paths for the trackers.

The set also includes a stand on which to display Hubble. As part of that, a decal-adorned plaque lists facts about the observatory, including the dates of its five space shuttle servicing missions. The stand also includes three translucent pre-printed parts displaying three of the telescope's most famous observations: the Eagle Nebula ("Pillars of Creation"), Whirlpool Galaxy and the Butterfly Nebula.

"The astounding images and data provided by the Hubble Space Telescope have brought the farthest reaches of the universe closer to Earth. We're just beginning to comprehend its historic significance, and it continues to inspire scientists and spark the public's imagination," wrote the designers in the introduction to the set's instructions. "We wanted to honor that legacy."

One more hidden detail: the astronaut minifigure is decorated as to be wearing an extravehicular mobility unit (EMU), the spacesuit worn for the servicing missions. It does not reproduce the NASA insignia or any flight emblems, but on the back of its portable life support system (PLSS) backpack appears NASA's celebratory logo for the Hubble Space Telescope's first 35 years.