A while back, the LEGO® Group sent me a few of the 2019 City Mars Exploration sets to review. I decided to save the best until last. By best, I mean the one that I was most looking forward to. On the quest to reach Mars, mankind will need a stop over en route. Minifigures are ahead of the game, already having a station orbiting the moon. Today, we get a tour of the facility. Let’s see if the Lunar Space Station (60227) lives up to my expectations.
NOTE: The LEGO® Group provided this set for review purposes. However, the provision of products does not guarantee a favorable review. I will use my usual rating system (click here to learn more) and provide my honest opinion.
Lunar Space Station (60227) Summary
- NAME: Lunar Space Station
- SET #: 60227
- THEME: City
- COST: $79.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 412
- MINIFIGURES: 4
- RELEASE DATE: June 23, 2019
Lunar Space Station (60227) Quick Review
- VALUE: 66% (Very expensive cost-per-brick and build-time.)
- BUILD: 95% (Amazing design and execution.)
- MINIFIGURES: 86% (Good overall design and brick-to-fig ratio.)
- ENTERTAINMENT: 100% (A fun set with loads of potential.)
- OVERALL SCORE: 87%
Full Review
VALUE: 66%
The Lunar Space Station costs $79.99 in Canada. That is pricey for a set containing 412 bricks. It equates to $0.19 per brick. Given that my average cost-per-brick is currently $0.14, this is five cents above average for each piece. Even for the City theme, which averages at $0.17/brick in my experience, the Lunar Space Station is expensive. $0.19/brick earns a barely passing score of 64%.
I built this set in 75 minutes. At $79.99, each minute of build-time boils down to $1.07. My average cost-per-minute is currently $0.83. Once again, the Lunar Space Station tips the scales towards the expensive. I rate the build-time at 68%. Averaging this score with the cost-per-brick gives an overall value rating of 66%. However, even a modest sale of 20% off would bring the score up to 77%.
BUILD: 95%
The Lunar Space Station comes equipped with a small shuttle. It only seats one astronaut, and the pilot must lean quite far back to close the hatch. However, the ship has a sleek design and is visually appealing. Additionally, it connects directly to the space station. A hatch opens in the kitchen module, and the shuttle backs into it. Sadly, there is no door from the shuttle directly into the space station, which loses this build a point in the detail department.
The actual space station consists of four detachable modules; three living modules connected to central hub. The hub is just a connecting hallway on the interior. On the exterior, there is a solar panel array attached to power the station. Half of the array can detach into a separate orbital satellite. The roof of the hub has a small control panel to adjust the panels, or perhaps to release the satellite.
In zero gravity, just like in LEGO®-life, you can sleep on the wall.
Directly opposite the solar panel array is the bunk module. It consists of one wall mounted bed facing some television screens. I like the way the bed is set up. Of course, in space, there is no gravity. Therefore, there is not an up or down. So, having a bed on the wall is no different than having a bed on the floor. Additionally, the interlocking nature of LEGO® bricks makes the simulation of zero gravity easy.
Leaving the bedroom and heading through the hub to the right takes you into the lab module. Here, scientists study samples sent up from Mars. The unit contains a sample table on which researchers can split rocks to reveal the crystals inside. A scanner (light brick built into the wall) really illuminates the crystal and displays the crystalline structure of the molecules on a computer screen. Alternatively, scientists view crystals, or substances on them, under the microscope. Screens also adorn these walls.
There’s no dehydrated food on this space station! Astronauts have a fully functioning pizza oven.
The final section of the space station is communal living space. It contains a kitchenette and some botanical samples. A pizza launches out of the oven by pressing a button on the station’s exterior. This is the module that the shuttle attaches to. I found myself wishing there was more of an airlock here though. Once the hatch opens, the living module opens directly into space.
Overall, I love the detail in this build. An expert design and execution make this a great set. I liked it so much that I found myself wishing there was more. For example, with four astronauts, there is a need for more sleeping space. Additionally, there is the aforementioned airlock. Another module to store spacesuits could have doubled as the airlock. However, at the price, it is hard to ask for more. The Lunar Space Station already costs a lot. I suppose the benefit of the LEGO® system of play is that I can build these modules myself. The only downside to that plan is the specialized nature of the bricks that make up the modules.
I like this set so much that I found myself wishing there was more.
In the end, the shuttle docking issue is my only point of contention with this set. The rest is more of a wish list. Without increasing the cost of this kit, I cannot see much of a way around the docking issue either. It would require a sacrifice somewhere else, and I cannot think of any part of this set that I want to give up. Therefore, I will not deduct a full point. I am even loathe to remove half a mark as it would cost the Lunar Space Station 10% on my scale. So, I will just go ahead and rate the build for this set at 95%.
MINIFIGURES: 86%
The Lunar Space Station is crewed by four Minifigures. In a kit containing 412 pieces, that equates to one Minifigure for every 103 bricks. My current average brick-to-Minifigure ratio is 144-to-1. Therefore, you get a good number of Minifigures for a kit of this size. I rate this ratio at 88%.
The characters in this kit come with all the standard Minifigure parts, as well as front and back torso printing. However, only the space suits have leg printing, and only one character has a double-sided face. In terms of accessories, you get a hammer, two geodes, a pizza, a wrench, and one printed pressure gauge tile. All the other screens in this set are stickers, so I will not count them as actual accessories (though they are useful for MOCs). Overall, these characters achieve a design score of 49/60 (82%). Averaging this with the ratio score gives the Lunar Space Station a total Minifigure rating of 85% based on my usual system. However…
This set has named one of the characters. It introduces us to Dr. Ogel (that is “LEGO” spelled backwards.) He is on screen in the lab, possibly directing the other scientist from somewhere else in the station. Given his age, presumed supervisory role, and the fact that he is the only character named in this set (or sub-theme for that matter), I assume he is the prominent scientist on this Mars Exploration Mission. While not a physical detail, this is still an added detail to the set. It is one that I enjoyed a lot too. Therefore, I will add a point to the Minifigure rating, bringing the overall score up to 86%.
ENTERTAINMENT: 100%
The science geek in me is just bursting with joy over this set. I love it. While I have a whole wish list of custom additions to make to it, the core set will remain unchanged and on display in my LEGO® room. This is hands down my favorite set from the Mars Exploration sub-theme. I am happy to have saved it for last, because it really ends these sets on a high note for me. Many of the Mars sets suffered from a lack of overall focus. Too many small builds included in a single kit detracted detail from builds that should have been the focus of the set. Conversely, the Lunar Space Station remains on point with only one perfectly complimentary side build. As an AFOL, I rate this set’s entertainment value at 5/5.
As a kid, I think this set would have been equally enthralling. I was intrigued by space travel, and loved Star Trek and Star Wars (yes, you can like both.) The idea of space and other planets intrigued me. This space station features easy interior access for play. Additionally, it comes with a small shuttle for Minifigure transportation, so you do not necessarily have to buy another set for hours of entertainment. The modular nature of the set also allows for all sorts of harrowing space scenarios that might require breaking up the station. As an imagined KFOL score, I also rate this set at 5/5.
Lunar Space Station (60227) Overall Score: 87%
The Lunar Space Station is an excellent set. It remains focused on its namesake and provides a lot of detail and play value. The Minifigures are like other Mars Exploration sets, however one of them comes with a name, which is rare for the theme. The only real drawback of the Lunar Space Station is the price. It is quite expensive for the build-time and the number of bricks included. However, building this kit gave me a rare sense of wonder and satisfaction. I usually attribute these feelings to larger, much more detailed sets like Ninjago City or the Ghostbusters Firehouse. To achieve that with 412 bricks is a rare feat. I highly recommend the Lunar Space Station. I think $79.99 is worth it. However, waiting for even a modest sale of 20% (which is common) would bring my rating up to 90% overall.
What do you think of the Lunar Space Station? Does it resonate mostly with science geeks like me, or does it have larger appeal? Be sure to leave a comment below or send me your thoughts on social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
What do others think?
Brick Insights is an awesome site that aggregates LEGO® set review scores from around the web. Based on their statistics, you can see what other reviewers think of the Lunar Space Station (60227) set below.
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I absolutely love this set. But I’m a science geek too, so I don’t know how much broader appeal it might have.
That thought crossed my mind as I was writing this review, and you might be right. But, I also thought about my classroom and how my students are always enthralled when we get to the space unit… I think there is a certain mystique about space exploration and habitation that appeals to a wider audience than just science geeks… Or maybe my excitement just rubs off on the students…
I guess people are more likely to get excited about space exploration than, say, polymer science or microbiology. So there might be something to that.