How to build a brick space shuttle
To build a brick space shuttle, lay two black plates and line white bricks across them, wide at the back and narrow at the front, stack a white nose with black windows, add black wing edges, three gray engines and a tall tail, then white bay doors around a yellow satellite. 45 pieces, 5 steps, ages 7–9.
The space shuttle build at a glance
| Pieces | 45 (14 kinds) |
|---|---|
| Steps | 5 |
| Ages | 7–9 |
| Colors | white, black, light gray, yellow |
| Finished size | 17 × 12 studs, about 5.1 cm (2.0 in) tall |
| Special pieces | None: plain plates and bricks |
Parts you need
7× white 2×4 brick
6× white 1×2 brick
5× white 2×2 brick
4× black 1×2 brick
4× black 1×1 brick
3× white 2×8 brick
3× white 2×6 brick
3× light gray 2×2 brick
2× white 1×8 brick
2× white 1×6 brick
2× black 2×8 plate
2× black 2×2 brick
1× yellow 2×4 brick
1× black 1×4 brick
Step-by-step instructions
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1 Belly and giant wings
Lay two black plates. Line up white bricks across, wide at the back, narrow in front. Two long white bricks lock them!
Find: 3 white 2×8 bricks, 3 white 2×6 bricks, 2 white 1×6 bricks, 2 black 2×8 plates, 1 white 2×4 brick
Did you know? The shuttle's delta wings let it glide all the way home with no engine power at all.
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2 Nose and cockpit
Stack white bricks at the front, getting narrow. Add black windows and a black nose tip for the astronauts!
Find: 4 white 2×4 bricks, 4 white 2×2 bricks, 4 white 1×2 bricks, 2 black 2×2 bricks, 1 black 1×4 brick
Did you know? The shuttle's cockpit had more than 2,000 switches and displays.
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3 Black wing edges
Press tiny black bricks on the front corner of each wing step. Look — a black zigzag edge on both sides!
Find: 4 black 1×2 bricks, 4 black 1×1 bricks
Did you know? The black edges of the shuttle's wings got the hottest when it came back through the air.
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4 Engines and tall tail
Tuck two gray engines low and one high at the back. Stack white bricks into a tail that leans back!
Find: 3 light gray 2×2 bricks, 2 white 2×4 bricks, 2 white 1×2 bricks, 1 white 2×2 brick
Did you know? The shuttle's three main engines together made as much power as dozens of jumbo jets.
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5 Payload bay
Lay two long white bricks as bay doors. Slip the yellow satellite between them. Ready for launch!
Find: 2 white 1×8 bricks, 1 yellow 2×4 brick
Did you know? The Space Shuttle carried the Hubble Space Telescope into space in its payload bay in 1990.
Questions parents ask
How many pieces do you need for a brick space shuttle?
45: 7 white 2×4 bricks, 6 white 1×2 bricks, 5 white 2×2 bricks and 11 more kinds. The full list is in “Parts you need”.
Are these space shuttle instructions free?
Yes. Every step is on this page.
What if I’m missing a color?
Use a brick of the same size in another color. The shapes hold the model together; the colors are only for looks.
