Featured set of the day: Cosmic Fleet Voyager
Posted by Huw,
LordDunsany has picked a Classic Space set for us today:
6985 Cosmic Fleet Voyager (sold as Taurean Ore Carrier in the UK) was the last of the large spaceships in the Classic Space line, a successor to the earlier 497 Galaxy Explorer and 6980 Galaxy Commander. One thing that may not be immediately obvious from photos is how tall this ship actually is: it dwarfs both of them when displayed alongside.
Although I was too young to remember seeing the set in stores or catalogues, I do not think that I would have liked this set too much in my youth. Possibly because I knew we would not be able to afford larger sets, I focused my attention on the medium-sized surface stations and spaceships of the various space sub-themes in the early-mid 90s. Of course, sleek fighter-like sets bristling with weaponry like 1789 Star Hawk II were far more exciting designs to me than the large, bulky transport-like 6985.
The entrance of the Discovery One spacecraft in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, however, really left an impression on me, with the large ship drifting slowly through empty space accompanied by lonely, mournful strings. I realised that I was unsatisfied with recreating such scenes with my sleek star-fighters and that I needed to get a large capital ship. 6985 was one of the first large spaceships I remember purchasing with my own money upon getting a job (being the cheapest of the 3 aforementioned large Classic Space ships).
Comparing the 3 large Classic Space ships, I definitely think that I would have liked 6980 Galaxy Commander the best in my youth, with its dual-cockpits, fighter-like front half, and well-furnished lab section in the rear.
However, what impresses me about 6985 is the tall continuously-enclosed corridor that stretches from the front cockpit to the rear lab section. To my knowledge, this set and arguably also the very similar 6984 Galactic Mediator are the only large LEGO spaceships where the pilot can actually stand up and walk/move throughout the interior of the spacecraft.
In most other large LEGO spaceships (even ones with good interior space), the pilot is confined to sitting in a cockpit that is not internally connected to the remainder of the spacecraft’s interior space. The large amount of interior space in this set, while sparsely furnished, allows one to imagine a large cargo capacity, multiple science stations, and/or simply room allowing for the crew to live fairly comfortably on extended missions.
The completely enclosed interior even allows them to work and rotate positions without needing to keep on their air tanks and helmets. While such features may not have been important to some space fans, the attempt at a degree of realism for a long-distance spacecraft is much appreciated.
A final point of note, this set has some of the best large alternate models pictured on the box rear and interior flap (that space chicken/dragon!) that I have seen, partially due to large assortment of window pieces and frames in this set. Luckily plastic.ati has made instructions for all the official alternate models (as well as several other excellent self-creations) available on Rebrickable.
109 likes
22 comments on this article
You sound very much like a younger me, but as you mention 1785 not from the UK. So many memories and similarities. As a child the largest set i ever owned was 6928, so many wheels, but i always wanted the larger sets 928, 6930 and later 6985. Again I had to wait until not only had I got a job but Ebay etc was born to get the sets I wanted. I too made at least parts of the backs of boxes of most sets. 6985 I made the front of the ship top left and the small ships from bottom right. I also made up a 1785 with instructions from the internet and various parts auctions. Great Era.
How do you embed images in a Featured Set submission?
Love this set style, sharp angles, diagonal parts, transparency, and even the alternate builds look amazing.
Also the fact such style parts were used for longer times (albeit in different colors), much more compatibility for almost 2 decades.
UFO 1997 was the first theme to divert to more rounded parts.
^^ email them to me.
Had this one as a kid and liked it well enough. Got a used one in a bulk batch last year and sold it off along with 2 Galaxy Explorers. Good play set, but not great for display/not iconic in my opinion. I am rebuilding a 3rd Galaxy Explorer now though with the intention of keeping it.
Wanted this as a kid, but could never get it due to the price point. Wound up getting one in a lot of LEGO and rebuilding it and selling it when I sold all of my classic space.. I have since regreted it but picked up another in box some time ago, it was just missing a few parts that I know I could get if I did not already have them. I'm torn whether or not to try to recollect all of the classic space.. if anything, just to display as they were really marvelous designs!
This was one of my favorite sets as a child. I remember friends wanting to play with "the big blue spaceship," as we called it. It was enormous for 413 pieces, with very little interior detail. I liked how the front and back sections could separate and be played with independently.
Yes, I had it too as a kid. It was a behemoth of a spacecraft. You could detach the rear end as a sort of habitat and fly away with the rest! And it had a small rover in the rear bay. It was so much fun to play with some other fighters and ships side by side with this ship and pretend it was battlestar galactica ... (like in the original movies, not the newer series!).
I didn't have this when I was young, but I always admired it in the LEGO catalogues.
When I built 70839 The Rexcelsior, it reminded me of 6985. I know it isn't classic space, but they both have an interior and both bulky, large spaceships.
Only 413 pieces! Amazing, though I suppose there are a good few large structural pieces in there. I do like the idea of a continuous interior space; indeed, it's not something you see a lot in Lego spaceships. And the alternate models are fantastic!
I have a vague memory of a slightly older friend having this in the late 80s - or rather, it would explain why he had so many trans yellow windscreens, as I don't think I ever saw it in one piece. It's definitely the Classic Space set I would choose, in the event of a lottery win, but happily I did get my hands on Benny's Spaceship, its more streamlined descendant.
Ha, I see we have a lot of Classic Space fans writing featured reviews, nice! I loved this set--it was huge, the sealed interior could carry dozens of minifigs. Such a great set!
This set began my trend of assuming the darkest color space suit was the highest rank. So Black was always in the pilot's seat while White and Yellow worked in the rear section. I'm not to sure what Red's job was, but he usually ended up looking out the square window amidships. Good call-out of 2001, too--that big 6x6 dish in the back always reminded me of the similar dish on the Discovery.
I have this set. It is easily my favorite set from my childhood. I proudly have it displayed after I rebuilt it about 2 years ago.
Not my favorite Classic Space set to be honest.
I think some of the alt builds are better than the main, especially that long sleek one.
Luck was on my side for once in 1991. All Lego space were way into M-Tron and Space Police and the "modern" look of the time. I was at Hills Department store in the US as a kid and saw this set behind some of the other boxes like it was on the shelf for 4 years. In those days it was really hard to get older sets before the internet. Especially as a kid. It just so happened that Christmas was coming and I asked for that set. I got it. I was lucky. Still have the box and everything. It is a great set. Sadly a little sparse on the inside... much like many sets of the time.
Not a bad attempt at making a true-to-life long-range explorer spacecraft with a properly-sized interior. The final design was a little lacking, but a good try all the same. And the playability with all the figures, the separated back end module, and the rover with the neat accessories (first black pickaxe!) made this one a winner for me.
This was one impressive set. I remember seeing it on the store shelves. Of course when you're a kid, it's far from your eceonomical reach. Thanks for sharing back of the box. You know what, I think I like the one on the top left corner even better than the original model.
This is another Classic Space set that I didn't like at all when browsing Brickset as a kid, but have since come to appreciate. As a kid, I thought it was just an ugly box of a ship: a hodgepodge of mismatched angles and huge specialized panels, without landing gear or a well-shaped nose cone or nice engine nacelles like on the Galaxy Explorer. Now I appreciate its virtues of a spacious interior and a detachable base module - and certainly I can appreciate that many kids loved to play with it when it was new and they were young! Maybe I should build a modern version in Studio sometime soon.
'Taurean Ore Carrier' is a better name than 'Cosmic Fleet Voyager', in my opinion; more evocative.
The bottom-left photo of the space base looks pretty cool to me, too.
would love those alternate builds
Luckily plastic.ati has made instructions for all the official alternate models (as well as several other excellent self-creations) available on Rebrickable.
This was my favorite set growing up. No idea what happened to it, which is heartbreaking, but I spent many hours playing with it. I remember finding my small Lego stash at my mom's house about 10 years ago and being super disappointed that this set was nowhere to be found. I probably sold it to buy Nintendo games or something, during my dark ages. =(
My favorite set when i was young with the Galaxy commander 6980...
So swooshable...i spent hours hours and hours imagining hundreds or thousands stories...
I found it very massive. It was one of the best moment of my life with all the classic spacce sets.
The dream would be a reedition but it's a dream.
Thanks taking me back to 1986 when I was 11. I remember getting this set for Christmas and playing with it over and over again. I loved the playability, as the different parts of the ship could come apart, and leave the lab on a planet somewhere to explore.
As I sit here, I know that the set is downstairs in the basement in its box, waiting for the bricks to be cleaned, and waiting for the day that I build it with my two young boys.
Thanks again for your post. Stay safe everyone!