Some journeys take us far, far away. We start by putting together a few sets, and one thing leads to another, and suddenly a whole universe opens up to us. Today, we’re going to visit Nicolas Riveau’s extended universe, so hop aboard the nearest rocket to begin the journey.
Meet Nicolas
Sam: Hello Nicolas, I was lucky enough to cross paths with your rockets at the Let’s Go exhibition in early April, where I discovered your creations in the flesh (and bricks). Can you introduce yourself? Where does your passion for the space sector come from?
Nicolas: I’m Nicolas. I’m passionate about Space and LEGO. As a teenager, I was fascinated by stars, planets and the adventurous spirit of space exploration. Of course, the Star Wars movies came along, but that’s not the whole story.
Developing a Full Range of Rockets
Sam: When and how did you get started?
Nicolas: As a kid, I was into classic space and a bit of everything, but I got back into it more than 20 years later, by chance, just having a bit of fun. I came across LEGO’s 21309 Saturn V set.
Sam: And then you went on to design other models?
Nicolas: Once I finished assembling it, I searched the internet for other models at the same scale. I found the Soyuz, Mercury launchers, the Saturn V launch tower, and more. The main modelers in the sector are MoppeW40k, Dan Fallon, Techniek.
Then I started creating my own models. I began with Ariane 4, then Hermes, and many others—including the Baikonur launch pad.
Designing at the Same Scale
Sam: You have a very dynamic display at the exhibition, which visitors really love. The first part is a showcase of spacecraft, satellites, and rockets—all at the same scale. Tell us about this scale and why it’s important to you.
Nicolas: It’s important because it has a strong educational value. It’s the same scale as the Saturn V set, and it includes figures that are to scale as well. Initially, I was just curious to see how rockets have evolved in shape and size, so building them at the same scale became essential. It turns out I really enjoy it, so I’ve kept going with it.
Launching Soyouz
Sam: The second part of your stand is simply brilliant. It allows visitors to follow the launch of the Soyuz rocket. You project a countdown on a screen, announcing the next lift-off. With one launch every hour, I counted around 16 take-offs for a weekend’s exhibition.
For our readers, here is the whole presentation. Spectators can watch a video that builds anticipation for the launch, leading to the final countdown: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…
Sam: The presentation video and countdown must have taken quite a bit of work. Can you tell us a little about how you made it?
Nicolas: I created the video iteratively. At first, it was just an AFP video of a real launch. Then I added the countdown. This is the fourth version, and I already have ideas for a fifth.
Sam: Each of your launches has a different result, some successful, some not. Why is it interesting to show different outcomes?
Nicolas: The failure rate is about 10%, but it’s quite variable. That’s because I refuse to glue the LEGO bricks, and I try to keep the mechanism as unobtrusive as possible. And as a bonus, there’s an element of uncertainty to every take-off. There’s tension in the audience at take-off and landing (the two most critical moments).
Sharing Some Techniques
Sam: You’ve listed several technical solutions for making cylinders. Do you have any preferred techniques?
Nicolas: I like it when the cylinder is hollow but solid so I can put the payloads or whatever else inside.
Sam: Could you share some of these techniques with BrickNerd readers?
Nicolas: Solutions based on modified plates with clips are top-notch: they’re solid and completely hollow. You can easily vary the diameter, and the rounded effect is very successful. That’s what I used for the Starship (9 studs wide) and the Zephyr (4 meters tall).
Science Fiction and Real Space
Sam: Do you also draw inspiration from sci-fi MOCs? Is that a universe that appeals to you, or do you prefer real-world space exploration?
Nicolas: I draw inspiration from everything I can. Space classics, of course, but all kinds of universes are cool. Sometimes it’s about the techniques used, sometimes the scenography. It all gives me ideas for future creations.
Sam: You’ve set up your own website, where people can find your work and that of other designers for sale. Can you explain how it works?
Nicolas: When I started my collection, I looked for a website that could act as an intermediary between me and the parts suppliers. But I found it complicated to have to order from five or ten different places just to get the parts for one model. Since I couldn’t find what I needed, I decided to build it myself. My goal is to make models accessible to everyone. Most of the time, the instructions are free—and that’s what I prefer—but when they’re paid, I make sure to pay the designer whatever they ask on Rebrickable for each sale through my site.
Sam: Thank you for the conversation—now I’m off to my next article in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…
Nicolas: Thank you, Sam, for this interview!
Do you dream of taking off for the moon? How will you get there?
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