LEGO Reviews Ideas21321

International Space Station

Name: LEGO International Space Station 21321
Brand: LEGO
SKU: 21321
Rating: 4.88 (9541 reviews)

83 · HIGHLY RECOMMENDEDINVESTMENT GRADE: A2020864 pcsHigh agreement · 96%

Expert reviews

4analyzed

Owner ratings

9.5K+

Consensus

BUY

BrickScore

Highly Recommended

Owners

Synthesized Verdict

"With a BrickScore of 83.1 and an extraordinary 4.88-star average across over 9,500 owner ratings, the LEGO ISS is about as close to a consensus masterpiece as an Ideas set gets: a faithfully detailed, all-printed display model that consistently delivers more than buyers expect for the price."

Reviewers across Brickset and a large pool of LEGO.com owners gave the International Space Station near-unanimous praise, landing it a BrickScore of 83.1 and a Highly Recommended tier. The completed model's size and accuracy consistently surprised buyers, and the absence of stickers in favor of printed elements was called out as a major win. Owner sentiment is exceptionally strong: 9,541 ratings average 4.88 out of 5, and 90% of LEGO.com buyers would recommend it.

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$69.39

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LOVED (7)

01Impressive completed size, larger than most buyers expected
02All printed elements instead of stickers, especially praised on the solar panel tiles
03Rotatable solar panels and adjustable stabilizers add realistic interactivity
04Strong display value with a highly accurate representation of the real ISS
05Informative instruction booklet that doubles as a space reference
06Mix of standard and Technic pieces that makes the build accessible yet interesting
07Tiny microfig astronauts appreciated as charming finishing details

CRITICIZED (5)

01Some parts, particularly antennas and small attachments, fall off during construction
02Blue background in the instruction manual made some diagrams harder to read
03Bag sequencing criticised by some: bag 4 makes the model top-heavy before bag 5 stabilizes it
04Repetitive final phase assembling eight identical solar panel arms
05Several eye-catching details end up on the back of the model, less visible at eye level

What reviewers are saying

"It will come as no surprise at this point that I highly recommend this set. It's a fantastically designed LEGO model of one of mankind's most impressive achievements of the modern age, representing a true high-water mark…"

The Brothers Brick

"21321 International Space Station maintains that marvellous standard and seems exceptionally realistic when compared with the original space station."

Brickset Reviews

"it's really real life Lego in space and that's fascinating I had as someone who's not dedicated to learning about the ISS I had no idea just how much it was like this and it made me more interested in the real thing whic…"

JANG's LEGO Reviews

"this looks absolutely gorgeous it's a good display set"

Solid Brix Studios

Ecosystem

21312 Women of NASA — The Space Shuttle in 21321 is nearly the same scale as the one in 21312 Women of NASA and shares some design elements, but is an updated version with more details including small side engines thanks to roller skates, something previous models always lacked. Also uses the same printed 1×4 solar panel tile introduced in 21312.

21309 NASA Apollo Saturn V — The astronaut microfigures in 21321 are identical to those included in 21309, so their spacesuits are Apollo-era rather than current generation uniforms

21311 Voltron — Uses the mechanical pattern 2×2 round tile that was introduced with 21311 Voltron and has been showing up in a variety of sets since

Speed Champions line — In a comment response, the reviewer notes there are more difficult techniques to build in Speed Champions sets (rated 8+) than in this ISS set (rated 16+), questioning the age rating

IdeasTier 2Investment Grade

By Reviewer · 4

Avg score

Consensus

BUY

The Brothers Brick

Expert Video Source

BUY

Key Pros

✓Fantastic design quality and engineering
✓Great value for money at $0.08 per piece
✓No sticker sheet required; all 122 decorated elements are printed

Key Cons

✕Solar panel building is repetitious
✕Cupola window printing lacks two of six windows despite having space for them (design oversight)

JUMP TO REVIEW

Brickset Reviews

Editorial Source

BUY

"21321 International Space Station maintains that marvellous standard and seems exceptionally realistic when compared with the original space station."

Key Pros

✓Impressive size and detail
✓Accurately represents the ISS with distinctive silhouette
✓All decorated elements are printed (no stickers required)

Key Cons

✕Linked modules appear comparatively fragile
✕Display stand connection with the space station could be improved

READ FULL REVIEW

JANG's LEGO Reviews

Expert Video Source

BUY

Key Pros

✓Impressive scale at 49cm width
✓Modular construction philosophy mirrors real ISS design
✓Extensive printed solar panels add visual interest

Key Cons

✕Space Shuttle significantly undersized — should be approximately 1.5x larger
✕Exposed blue Technic pins on stand break immersion

JUMP TO REVIEW

Solid Brix Studios

Expert Video Source

BUY

"this looks absolutely gorgeous it's a good display set"

Key Pros

✓Excellent display piece with realistic detail
✓Great value for $70 (comparable to much more expensive sets)
✓Substantial size and piece count (864 pieces)

Key Cons

✕Has stickers that need to be applied (though most solar panels are printed)

JUMP TO REVIEW

Dimensional Analysis

Investment Layer

Buy now (3)Wait for sale (0)

Exclusivity

The Brothers Brick: LEGO-exclusive via LEGO Ideas platform

Brickset Reviews: LEGO Ideas exclusive

Resale

The Brothers Brick: Expected to hold value well; valuable for parts-builders seeking rare solar panel prints and space-themed elements; unlikely to see dramatic aftermarket appreciation but should maintain value as a display piece

JANG's LEGO Reviews: Expected to stick around for a while and maintain relevance post-retirement; not specifically called out for strong aftermarket growth but noted as likely memorable.

Minifigures & Standout Parts

Standout parts (per reviewers)

Printed 1×4 tile with solar panel design
Introduced with 21312 Women of NASA in 2017; 64 of them included in this set to constitute solar panels without sticker application
Dark blue 2×3 plate with clips (printed solar panel design)
New print for this piece; appeared with solar panel stickers in City sets, but here 46 of them are printed instead of stickered, saving tedious sticker application
8×3 flags with solar panel design (printed)
New print on this element; also includes four unprinted white versions of the same flag
2×2 truncated cone (cupola window, printed)
New print with two pairs of windows printed on opposite sides, though the real cupola has six windows; the print lacks the final two windows despite having space for them
Printed nameplate (silver)
Beautifully printed in silver, exclusive to this set; reviewer wishes Star Wars UCS sets would imitate this approach
2×2 radar dishes (metallic silver)
Four included; not particularly rare but a nice metallic detail

What Owners Say

Space enthusiasts overwhelmingly love the ISS as a stunning, impressively large display piece, though a vocal minority find it frustratingly fragile both during the build and on the stand.

COMMON PRAISE

+Impressive final size and visual impact, consistently described as bigger than expected
+Exceptional accuracy and detail for a real-world subject, including included spacecraft and Canadarm
+Enjoyable, satisfying build experience praised as appropriately challenging without being grueling
+No stickers; printed pieces throughout receive specific appreciation

COMMON COMPLAINTS

−Fragility is the most common concern: solar panels, stand attachment, and loose sections fall apart easily when touched or moved
−Build instruction order criticized by multiple owners as illogical, making assembly awkward at certain stages
−Not suitable as a play toy; purely a display piece that requires a permanent, undisturbed location

impressive display piecefragile constructionspace accuracysatisfying build

Buyer Ratings

Amazon4.9

9,133 reviews

93%