“Welcome to the Lunar Laboratory for Biological Discovery and Preservation ! There’s been an increased number of rumors of alien lifeforms on the moon, and we need you to find and study them! We’ve placed several of these research labs on the moon, and you two will have been assigned to Lab #9. Your lab is equipped with comfortable sleeping quarters, communication relays, and state of the art research equipment. Don’t forget to wear the appropriate gear when venturing out onto the surface of the moon - there’s always a spare helmet and set of oxygen tanks in the station. Use the Lunar Rover to traverse the barren landscape in search of alien life, and if you come across any significant geological discoveries, make sure to bring them back to the lab for study. Your service is invaluable, and thank you for joining the LLBDP9 team!”

This design has undergone significant renovations since it’s original submissions in both series 7 and 8. The entire thing has been rebuilt from the ground up, with the intention of adding in as many play functions as I could. There are 5 key play functions, as outlined in the photos. Those functions are:

A: Spinning the dial in the back of the build will rotate the radar dish

B: Turning the gray lever counter clockwise will pop open a storage compartment built into the floor

C: Pushing this section will reveal an alien hiding beneath the grate. Releasing it will reset automatically from gravity

D: Pressing the gray lever down will open the hatch in the ceiling where 6 alien eggs are, and they will drop into the station

E: Turning the dial in the back of the build will reveal the large alien on the side of the station, and it will drop back down from gravity. The alien’s tentacle can be removed if preferred.

In addition to those functions, there are also 2 folding murphy beds for the crew to sleep, that fold away for more space while awake. The build features an open back design to maximize playability and access to the interior. To allow even greater access to the interior, the whole roof can be lifted off.

A couple of fun details include: The LLBDP9 on the front of the building, in the context of the set, stands for “Lunar Laboratory for Biological Discovery and Preservation (station) #9”, but in the real world it is a mixture of classic space sets using the designation LL-Set Number (where LL is Legoland). I thought it would be a fun way to mix Classic Lego Space with a BDP Series 9 twist. And Lastly, I was able to keep the piece count at exactly 999, for series 9!

It was a very fun challenge integrating these functions and design changes, and I hope you like this set! Thank you for taking the time to look at and read this!