LEGO Creator Expert 10497 Galaxy Explorer Rumoured For August/September 2022

A mysterious LEGO Creator Expert 2022 set may have finally had its mysterious cracked thanks to stonewars.de. The set 10497 has been described for a while as an "advanced model" and it's now rumoured to be another 90th Anniversary set along with the already rumoured 10305 Lion King's Castle. However, 10497 will be based on the Classic Space theme and the model of 497 Galaxy Explorer.

As you can already tell, the original model of 497 is very similar to the rumoured re-release of 10497 Galaxy Explorer. This set number is also out of sync with the rest of the LEGO Creator Expert numbers suggesting the set is something different and trying to hide a hidden detail. Even though the original set had the set number 928 in Europe, the set number 10928 is already taken in the LEGO Duplo theme so LEGO are almost forced to use 10497 instead.

Another anniversary set is also very likely due to both the popularity of the original vote and how big the occasion is. 90 years of LEGO is an incredible achievement so why not go all out. And the vote itself was extremely well received by fans and even though Castle did win, Classic Space is believed to have achieved a close second place. If there's an obvious demand for Classic Space, then LEGO can make it into an easy money maker set.

But what will a modern-day 2022 version of a classic LEGO set look like? Well like with any upgraded LEGO set, we can expect a more substantial detailed build with new pieces and plenty of new prints. With it being an 18+ set, the spaceship will remain as the main draw of the set but feature as more of a detailed display piece. The new version will still include iconic prints like the LL 928 print and the usual Classic Space logo.

The cockpit build is also likely to include prints to add the details along with the usual passenger build. It'll also likely still be a transparent yellow window for the cockpit which could use a brand new piece to make it a more slick and modern space design. The rest of the set will carry on the blue, grey and yellow colour scheme just like the classic set.

The rest build meanwhile is unlikely to include the previous space baseplate with it crater landscape. However, the small buggy will most likely be included in an updated design along with a transmission tower. Hopefully, this will be more detailed with a small interior for Minifigures to easily enter.

Talking about Minifigures, the set should once again be Minifigure scale with a range of Classic Space astronauts. At least one white and red astronaut, mechanic and pilot, will be included along with hopefully another four Minifigures at least. This may open up the opportunity for more colours of the classic spacesuit along with new helmets.

However, none of this information is confirmed apart from the set number of 10497 and its release around either August or September. The rest of the information has been speculated by stonewars.de so big thanks to them but they are extremely reliable and why wouldn't LEGO make another anniversary set. We'll just have to wait and see in the next few months...

Set Information

Set Name - Galaxy Explorer

Set Number - 10497

Ages - 18+

Piece Count - TBC

Price - TBC

Release Date - 1st August/1st September 2022