Skip to main content
If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Valve's Gabe Newell will launch a garden gnome into space for charity

Valve's Gabe Newell is going to launch a garden gnome into space for charity.

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.

Sign in and unlock a world of features

Get access to commenting, homepage personalisation, newsletters, and more!

In this article

Half-Life 2

PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox, PC

Related topics
About the Author
Stephany Nunneley-Jackson avatar

Stephany Nunneley-Jackson

News Editor

Stephany is VG247’s News Editor, with 22 years experience (with 15 of them at VG247). With a brain that lacks adhesive ducks, the ill-tempered, chaotic neutral fembot does her best to bring you the most interesting gaming news. She is also unofficially the site’s Lord of the Rings/Elder Scrolls Editor.
Comments