ORLANDO, Fla – Lego has released its newest play set, which pays tribute to one of the greatest space achievements of all mankind, the Apollo 11 mission.
Developed in cooperation with NASA, the new set celebrates the 50 years since the historic launch, which captivated the world and put astronauts on the moon.
[We put together the Apollo 11 lunar module set, watch a video timelapse at the top of this story.]
The collectible model replica will have brick builders making Apollo 11's Eagle lunar module.
The set gives a depiction of the moon's surface, complete with a crater, astronaut footprints and the U.S. flag, which was put on the moon by American astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong on July 20, 1969.
This Lunar Lander will be Lego's sixth model of the Lunar Module. Six Lunar Modules have landed on the moon. The company's first Lunar Module set was released in 1975 and included three brick-built astronauts.
"We have a deep understanding of the ways in which play can have lifelong impact, and we have been champions of the awe and wonder of space exploration through playful building for almost as long as the world's celebration of the first moon landing," said Michael McNally, senior director of brand relations at Lego systems.
Lego said the new set will be rich with details true to the Eagle lunar lander, including separate ascent and descent stages. The descent stage features gold-colored landing pads and panels, opening camera and laser hatches and a ladder, while the ascent stage has a detailed interior.
Enter the News 6 contest for a chance to win the collectible set here.
Along with the new set, the company also announced the additions of seven new LEGO CITY Mars Exploration sets inspired by NASA's ambitions to explore the next frontier, including taking astronauts to Mars.
To ensure that the sets reflect many technical details of the rockets, rovers and equipment that NASA may someday use to send humans to Mars, Lego designers met frequenlty with the space agency during development, Lego leaders said.
Satellite Service Mission - $9.99
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Rover Testing Drive - $29.99
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People Pack - Space Research and Development - $39.99
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Mars Research Shuttle - $59.99
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Deep Space Rocket and Launch Control - $99.99
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Rocket Assembly & Transport - $149.99
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All the sets can be purchased at Lego stores and at shop.LEGO.com