Valve founder Gabe Newell shoots garden gnome into space for charity – Gaming – Geeks

Garden gnome Chompski, known from Half-Life 2: Episode Two and Half-Life: Alyx, is going on a space journey. Gabe Newell has booked space with Rocket Lab to create a titanium version of the gnome to launch. The Valve CEO does this for a good cause.

Chompski gets a spot on Flight 16 van Rocket Lab from New Zealand. The launch of that Electron missile is scheduled for the second half of November. It is a so-called rideshare mission, with which dozens of different companies are launching satellites into space.

The fifteen centimeter high garden gnome that Newell sends into space is made of titanium, but has no further functionality. The intention is that the launch will attract a lot of attention. Newell says he will donate a dollar to the intensive care unit of Starship Children’s Hospital in New Zealand for each viewer of the live stream. Also, for every viewer who watches the video in the 24 hours after launch, Newell will donate a dollar.

Chompski has already seen a lot of the world. At least, in games. In both Half-Life 2: Episode Two and Half-Life: Alyx, players can get a special achievement earn by picking up the gnome in the beginning and then taking it with you throughout the story.

With the launch of the gnome, Rocket Lab hopes to be able to test whether the 3D printing technique used is suitable for making parts that can be used in space travel. The garden gnome was created by Weta Workshop, a company that props makes for in movies.

The garden gnome will only stay in the room for a short time. He gets a place in the Kick Stage of the rocket. That is the top part, which is used to put satellites into orbit with high precision. The Kick Stage then returns, including the gnome, to Earth and burns into the atmosphere.

It is not yet known when the launch will take place. There is a launch window of two weeks, starting on November 15th. The live stream will be shown via de Rocket Lab-website.

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