The set, due to be released April 1, was created in collaboration with NASA to mark the 40th anniversary since the first space shuttle flight on April 12, 1981, beginning a new era in space exploration.
The shuttle model costs $ 199 and has more than 2,300 units. The model is aimed at adults and features realistic details such as an opening cargo area, retractable landing gear, opening cockpit, space arm and five crew seats. It measures over 8.5 inches high, 21 inches long and 13.5 inches wide for easy display, according to a Lego press release.
“I was thrilled to see the space shuttle in Lego form … Hubble is definitely the pinnacle of my career,” Sullivan said in the release.
“This Lego model is a great way for Lego builders and space fans to get excited about space travel and learn about the famous mission in a fun and engaging way.”
Sullivan flew three space shuttle missions and was the first American woman to complete a spacewalk on October 11, 1984 as part of STS 41-G on the space shuttle Challenger.
The space shuttle was the first reusable spacecraft. The orbiter would launch like a rocket and land like an airplane. The two solid rocket boosters that helped push them into space were also reusable after being recovered in the ocean. Only the huge external fuel tank would burn up if it fell back to Earth. The combined system was known as the space transportation system.
Five shuttles flew into space during the history of the program: Atlantis, Challenger, Columbia, Discovery and Endeavor. Challenger and Columbia were destroyed in accidents.
The Challenger exploded minutes after launch on January 28, 1986, due to faulty O-rings in the shuttle’s rocket booster. All seven crew members were killed, including Christa McAuliffe, who is said to have been the first teacher in space.
Columbia exploded over Texas on reentry on February 1, 2003, killing seven crew members. An investigation found that the accident was caused by a piece of insulating foam that broke and punched a hole in the leading edge of the left wing within two minutes of the flight.
The shuttle program ended in 2011 after 135 missions.