Classic Space began in 1978, the same year as the LEGO minifigure, and it was one of the first three themes to use it, along with Castle and Town. The astronauts came in red and white at first, with yellow, black and blue added in the 1980s, all in the same suit with the planet logo on the chest and an air tank on the back. Unlike almost every space line after it, Classic Space had no villains, only explorers with rovers, rockets, lunar bases and grey crater baseplates.
1978 LEGO Sets
1978 was transformative: the modern minifigure arrived with articulated limbs and standardized proportions, becoming the heart of LEGO play. Three pillars launched in force—Town, Space, and Castle—bringing buses and services to city streets, astronauts and bases to the cosmos, and knights and keeps to medieval scenes.