Space is becoming a new place for brand advertising. Axiom Space, the first private company to deliver a private crew to the International Space Station, also sent a custom–made teddy bear Build-a-Bear Workshop into orbit as a “zero gravity indicator“.
A bear named GiGi became the “fifth” crew member of Ax-2, the second private space tourism mission of Axiom, which sent four space tourists to the International Space Station on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle over the weekend.
“GiGi in space continues the tradition of installing a zero gravity indicator inside the capsule to provide a visual assessment when the spacecraft reaches microgravity conditions,” the press release says.
GiGi Bear not only reminds children around the world about the need to study space and consider a career in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM). It is also dressed in a miniature version of the new sci-fi-style Axiom spacesuit, which NASA rents from the company for a lot of money.
Although the beautifully dressed teddy bear is without a doubt the star of Axiom’s recent brand partnerships, it’s not the only one involved in this new mission. In a video posted last week, former NASA astronaut and now Axiom mission leader Peggy Whitson announced that she and three other Ax-2 crew members would use special Fisher brand space pens, which were invented specifically for microgravity conditions.
GiGi, the teddy bear on board Axiom Space’s Ax-2 mission to the International Space Station, is officially in space! See GiGi in action in the image taken on the spacecraft below!
Learn More About Our Historic Journey into Space with Axiom Space! https://t.co/MLLDeXJH0f pic.twitter.com/NdbowO87a2
— buildabear (@buildabear) May 23, 2023
Fisher’s pens, of course, have been the main attribute of space travel for more than half a century, but the partnership with the Axiom brand signals that the company, which is engaged in consumer space tourism, has decided to use the highest place for advertising – on the ISS.
Earlier we reported on how the ISS turned out to be crowded with astronauts.
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