Project Hail Mary's Rocky Is Galactic Neighbors With An Iconic Star Trek Alien

Amazon Studios

This article contains spoilers for "Project Hail Mary."

We emotion a bully crossover — and sometimes those multi-story events hap wherever we slightest expect them. That's nan lawsuit pinch a funny relationship betwixt the outstanding "Project Hail Mary" and different celebrated IP: "Star Trek." Back successful 2016, NASA published an article pointing retired that Spock's homeworld, nan fictional satellite of Vulcan, is located successful a very existent and close-by prima system: 40 Eridani. The strategy contains 3 stars, including nan monolithic dwarf prima nan strategy is named after. 

It's located conscionable 16.5 light-years away, and erstwhile nan news was first published, nan main intelligence of NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program, Karl Stapelfeldt, kept dream of a existent Vulcan live erstwhile he said, "Could location beryllium an Earth-like satellite successful this system? We person nary measurement of knowing that now." At nan time, he explained why they weren't alert of a satellite successful nan system, saying, "We don't yet person a measurement to observe it, but NASA is moving connected nan exertion to make it possible."

The relationship to "Project Hail Mary" present is simple. 40 Eridani is nan location strategy of everyone's favourite mineral-based alien, Rocky. That's wherever nan "Project Hail Mary" communicative ends, excessively — albeit without immoderate Vulcans involved.

Amazon Studios

Crossover imaginable aside, if Rocky and Spock are from nan aforesaid prima system, different evident mobility is: Are they from nan aforesaid planet? Sadly, astir apt not, if only owed to nan logistical aspects involved. At first glance, it seems for illustration nan location satellite could beryllium 1 and nan same. In its 2016 report, NASA pointed retired successful narration to Mr. Spock's world, "Vulcan is perched connected nan soul edge, lending nan world its imagined desert-like quality..."

This seems to jive pinch nan truth that Rocky's satellite is basking owed to its proximity to its star. But nan devil is successful nan details. In reality, Rocky's satellite is very adjacent to its sun. Too adjacent for Vulcan manner — aliases humanoid life successful wide — to exist. Rocky's planetary somesthesia is simply a balmy 210°C (that's complete 400°F). His location world is besides very big, giving it a gravitational propulsion complete doubly that of Earth's. The kicker? Eridanians from Rocky's satellite respire ammonia, not oxygen, thing that's concisely hinted astatine successful nan movie. In nan novel, nan planet's unsocial atmospheric constitution besides intends it has fundamentally nary ray astatine crushed level. To apical it off, successful a sadistic twist of fate, aft kindling dream of a Vulcan location world, successful 2024, NASA devastated Trekkie hopes erstwhile it revealed that what galore had hoped was nan subject serviceman Spock's location world was thing much than an astronomical illusion. While Rocky's satellite has yet to beryllium likewise debunked, we cognize for judge that Vulcan doesn't beryllium astatine this point, making nan 2 friends aliens only neighbors successful fiction.

"Project Hail Mary" is successful theaters now.