What does set 8480 depict?

It depicts NASA's Space Shuttle, the reusable spacecraft that flew from 1981 to 2011.

Does the set use studded or studless parts?

Like most Technic from the mid-nineties, it relies largely on studded bricks and beams.

How many pieces are in the Space Shuttle?

There are 1,366 pieces in 183 part types, without minifigures.

Technic

Space Shuttle

Set 8480 brings NASA's Space Shuttle into the Technic range. Released in 1996, it has 1,366 pieces and remains one of the rare Technic sets devoted to spaceflight.

Set number: 8480
Year: 1996
Pieces: 1,366
Minifigures: 0
Theme: Technic
Different parts: 183

What can I build with it?

Parts list 183

As BrickLink list (XML)

Import on BrickLink: Wanted → Upload, upload the file (or paste its content), pick a Wanted List and add the parts.

Spare parts (10)

These extra parts come with the set in case one gets lost.

Description

A spacecraft in Technic form

Most Technic sets deal with things that drive, dig or lift. This one aims higher. The Space Shuttle was America's reusable spacecraft: it launched vertically on the back of rockets and a huge external tank, carried crews and cargo into orbit, and returned to glide down onto a runway. The orbiters flew from 1981 to 2011, so this 1996 set appeared at the height of the programme. Its delta wings and large payload bay make for an instantly recognisable model on any shelf.

Studded construction

In the mid-nineties, Technic was still built largely from studded bricks and beams, with pins and axles running through their holes. Studless liftarms existed but had not yet taken over. That gives this model a different feel from modern Technic: sections stack on top of each other as well as connecting sideways. The 1,366 pieces come in 183 part types, which is a broad variety and suggests plenty of change from one step to the next. There are no minifigures in the box.

A white Technic set

White is not a colour you often see dominating a Technic set, but it is essential for a Space Shuttle, whose orbiter was mainly white with black on the underside and nose. The catalogue lists black, light grey, white and yellow as the main colours. The grey here is the old light grey used before 2004, so parts from this set will look slightly different next to later light bluish grey elements. White Technic parts from this era are also useful when restoring other nineties models.

Completing a vintage set

Because the Space Shuttle has been out of production for decades, copies usually turn up second-hand and often incomplete. The inventory on this page lists all 183 part types with their colours and quantities, making it the best reference when you check a used set. If you would rather use the pieces elsewhere, the What can I build? tool compares them with other sets and shows which could be assembled from this collection, which is particularly handy for other Technic sets from the same period.

FAQ

What does set 8480 depict?: It depicts NASA's Space Shuttle, the reusable spacecraft that flew from 1981 to 2011.
Does the set use studded or studless parts?: Like most Technic from the mid-nineties, it relies largely on studded bricks and beams.
How many pieces are in the Space Shuttle?: There are 1,366 pieces in 183 part types, without minifigures.

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