The LEGO Space theme is one of the earliest and expansive themes that began in 1978 and features sets around features astronauts, spaceships, and extraterrestrial life. The first Space themes included an emphasis on space exploration with ships and basic wheeled vehicles and later consisted of more science fiction based sets which consisted of robots, small and large spaceships, and bases. The theme expanded over the years into various subthemes that included space factions and more story lines such as Futuron, Blacktron, Space Police, M:Tron, Spyrius, Unitron, Exploriens, Life on Mars, Alien Conquest and many more.
2009 LEGO Sets
In 2009, LEGO Star Wars celebrated its 10th Anniversary with the release of its 10th Anniversary sets. But even more important, LEGO celebrated its 50th anniversary of the LEGO Brick. A number of new themes were first introduced including BIONICLE Glatorian, Space Police III, Power Miners, Agents 2.0 and LEGO Pirates was re-introduced. Some themes that were retired in 2009 by LEGO included Mars Mission, the original and highly collectable Batman sets. Exo-Force and Belville where also discontinued in 2009.