The gnome is a homage to the Half-Life 2: Episode 2’s Little Rocket Man achievement, where you had to carry a garden gnome in the game, Gnome Chompski, to deposit it in a rocket ship. Newell is doing this to raise money for the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit of children’s hospital Starship, located in Auckland, New Zealand. Rocket Lab will be using Electron’s Kick Stage to deliver the 150mm titanium garden gnome into orbit, according to PCgamesN. The little fella was created by Wellington’s Weta Workshop and will be launched into space as part Flight 16. The flight’s main purpose is to set 30 satellites to space.
The flight will be livestreamed, and Newell will donate $1 to Starship for every person that watches live or within 24 hours of takeoff, according to the press release. While the launch day has yet to be set, it will take place within two weeks of November 15.
