Elon Musk has made a significant decision to designate Asteroid, a character created by 15-year-old Liv Perrotto, as the official mascot for SpaceX. This heartfelt move came after a touching appeal from Liv’s mother, fulfilling one of Liv’s final wishes before she tragically passed away from cancer.
Liv, a passionate space enthusiast, designed Asteroid—a Shiba Inu in a spacesuit—to serve as the “zero-gravity indicator” for the Polaris Dawn mission. Despite her illness preventing her from speaking during a scheduled call with Musk, Liv had prepared a list of questions she had hoped to ask him. This list remained untouched on her nightstand until her mother, Rebecca Perrotto, shared it with the public with the help of Glenn Beck. In response, Musk granted Liv’s final request by making Asteroid the face of SpaceX.
In a heartfelt response to Liv’s unanswered questions, Musk provided insight into various topics. He confirmed that SpaceX has no plans to manufacture its own phone but hinted at new games coming in future Tesla updates. Additionally, Musk verified that the Tesla Diner concept will be expanding to new locations and shared personal favorites such as his preferred anime and his fondness for Japan, particularly Kyoto and the teamLab exhibits.
The most significant confirmation from Musk was granting Asteroid the official SpaceX mascot status with a simple “Ok.” This decision means that Asteroid will now symbolize the company across all future missions, including Falcon 9 launches and the eventual journey to Mars.
For the Perrotto family, this gesture brings a sense of comfort and healing. Rebecca Perrotto expressed her gratitude, stating, “Knowing it will now be a part of every SpaceX mission, flying among the stars forever? That’s healing I can’t even put into words.”
The legacy of Liv Perrotto lives on through Asteroid, a symbol of her passion for space exploration and her connection to the stars. This heartwarming story showcases the power of dreams and the impact of kindness and empathy in the world of technology and innovation.