Open Threads

Exploriens Day Thread (June 29th)

In 1996, Lego decided to ditch the Unitrons and introduce a second civilian Space faction in a row in the form of Exploriens. Returning to a Futuron-esque aesthetic of white and black liveries with transparent blue windscreens (and some transparent neon green highlights), the Exploriens also had an M-Tron-esque “real world physics” gimmick to their scientific quest.

LEGO 6982 Explorien Starship
They also just plain old had magnets sometimes, because it’s not like the M-Trons were using them anymore.

See, the Exploriens were xenopaleontologists on the hunt for space fossils. And when they found one, they could look at it through a red lens to see one shape, or a blue lens to see another shape. Note the scientific viewer at the bottom left of their base, tucked behind the rover:

LEGO 6958 Android Base
They also had shiny stickers on their satellite dishes but that’s neither here nor there.

The Exploriens were another one-and-done theme, all of their sets coming out in 1996. With their throwback aesthetics, they truly mark the very end of the traditional Classic Space empire. What came next, as Lego entered its flop era in earnest, was… weird.