Beginner
≈ 13 hSuggested range8 h 15 min – 19 h
Official LEGO® image · © LEGO Group and/or the respective rights holders. Source: LEGO Italy ↗
Icons · SET 10283
NASA Space Shuttle Discovery
Discovery and Hubble tell a real mission’s story through two models displayed together or separately.
- Pieces
- 2,354
- Release year
- 2021
- Theme
- Icons
- Set number
- 10283
- LEGO recommended age
- 18+
- LEGO retail price · Italy
- 199.99 €
Retired from the LEGO Italy catalogue when checked on 23 October 2026. Availability can change. Check the store for the latest information.
Retail price reported by the LEGO source for the stated market. Check the store for current price and availability; this does not establish the launch price. LEGO ↗ · Reference checked on 23 October 2026
Official English name verified at: LEGO English catalogue ↗ · Checked on 24 October 2026.
TIME TO BUILD
How long does it take to build NASA Space Shuttle Discovery?
A starting point for planning your build. Times for each experience level are editorial estimates, not measurements submitted by HowLongToBuild users.
Editorial model estimate · no verified measured building time
Intermediate
≈ 9 hSuggested range5 h 45 min – 13 h 15 minExperienced
≈ 6 h 30 minSuggested range4 h – 9 h 30 minBased on one person building the set for the first time, following the original instructions and using numbered bags where supplied. Includes normal piece-finding and minor adjustments; excludes long breaks, filming, dismantling and modifications. Sources may use different methods. This range is neither a statistical interval nor a limit: your build may take less or more time.
How we estimate times · sources and method
White cladding, landing gear, robotic arm and telescope details. The three central durations are model-specific editorial assessments. Planning ranges extend approximately from 65% to 145%, rounded to quarter-hours; they are not measured experience-level averages or guaranteed limits.
Sources do not always specify the builder’s experience. The three experience bands are our editorial assessment, based on the complexity of the set and individual accounts where available.
- LEGO Italy · NASA Space Shuttle Discovery ↗
This source documents the model’s features and components, not a timed build. No sufficiently verifiable individual building-time report has been identified for this set.
- LEGO building instructions · NASA Space Shuttle Discovery ↗
Set-specific instructions checked against the set number, piece count and year. The duration is an editorial assessment based on piece count, construction type, mechanisms and detail.
Checked: 23 ottobre 2026 · Method v1.0 · Limited reports; not a statistical average.
BUILT BY THE COMMUNITY
Yours could be the first building time.
0 reviewed solo building times.
No solo building times have been reviewed yet. You can still find editorial estimates under Suggested times.
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Build your own story.
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How much display space does it need?
Space Shuttle Discovery
- Height
- ≈ 21 cm
- Width
- ≈ 34 cm
- Depth / length
- ≈ 54 cm
Shuttle measurements; a separately displayed Hubble telescope and plaques need additional space.
Check your shelf space
Approximate assembled-model measurements, not packaging dimensions. Allow extra room for handling, moving parts and the display stand. The comparison uses the measured model’s overall footprint, allows a 90° rotation and does not assess stability or shelf load. Source LEGO ↗ · 2026-10-29
BEYOND THE BRICKS
Did you know?
Inside the set
An opening payload bay
The bay holds Hubble and a buildable robotic arm.
LEGO sourceA two-deck cockpit
The cabin opens to reveal flight and mid-decks with five crew seats.
LEGO sourceBeyond the set
The stories, places and inventions behind your build.
Launch was only the first step
Discovery carried Hubble into orbit on 24 April 1990 during STS-31. Deployment followed the next day, using the Shuttle’s robotic arm while preparations included extending the solar arrays.
Read the full story
Launching the payload and releasing a working observatory were distinct stages of the mission.
An observatory designed for return visits
Astronaut servicing was part of Hubble’s early design. Five servicing missions repaired or replaced instruments, with the first also addressing the mirror’s optical defect.
Read the full story
Its scientific life depended on more than the original hardware: returning crews could change the observatory’s capabilities while it remained in orbit.
A CLOSER LOOK
Hubble’s glasses did not replace its mirror
Hubble’s first images revealed a problem with the shape of its primary mirror. The defect was tiny but prevented light from focusing correctly. In December 1993 astronauts did not replace the large mirror: they installed optics that compensated for its error.
Read the full story
The mission delivered COSTAR and a new camera, WFPC2, with its own corrective optics. Orbital servicing had been built into the telescope’s design. A small Hubble beside the shuttle therefore tells more than a launch story: it represents a scientific instrument designed to be repaired and upgraded.
A CLOSER LOOK
Discovery and Hubble: two dates, two moments
Discovery launched on 24 April 1990 with Hubble in its payload bay. The telescope was deployed the following day: launch and deployment were separate events.
Read the full story
STS-31 also carried an IMAX camera to document operations outside the cabin. Displaying the telescope beside the shuttle recalls an actual operation, rather than simply pairing two exhibits.
Expanded stories updated on 29 October 2026
Written by HowLongToBuild · Sources are linked with each story · Checked on 23 October 2026. Historical facts and story details refer to the context described.
THE COMMUNITY’S EXPERIENCE
What was it like to build?
Three separate scores from 1 to 10. For difficulty, 1 means very easy and 10 means very difficult.
No approved ratings yet. Scores are never generated by this site or inferred from the recommended age.
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Building tips from the community
Specific steps, useful checks and sticking points. Contributions appear after moderation, in their original language. Do not upload instruction pages or personal contact details.
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Sign in to contributeSET THE MOOD
A soundtrack for your build
· A pairing for this model
Suspended musical spaces and a sense of distance accompany missions, structures and cosmic landscapes. Apollo suits exploration and patient sessions, with curiosity and wonder.
OUR PICK
Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks (Extended Edition)
Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois & Roger Eno
Intimate and spaciousA build to spread over several sessions: choose the more understated option when you want the instructions to take centre stage. The music does not set your pace.
Editorial suggestions, not official soundtracks for the set. External services may require an account or subscription; editions and availability can vary by country. Suggest another soundtrack →
Report a problem with this set →
YOUR NEXT BUILD
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