The Moon Rocket was Wallace's latest invention in A Grand Day Out. When Wallace discovers that there is no cheese in the house, he decides that he and Gromit should take a holiday to a place with lots of cheese. After some deliberation he remembers that the moon is supposedly made of cheese and decides to build a rocket. Along with Gromit's help, Wallace builds the Moon Rocket in the basement of 62 West Wallaby Street. After much work the orange rocket was complete. The two light the fuse and blast off.
During their trip to the moon, Gromit passes the time building a house of cards while Wallace enjoys some toast from the rocket's built-in toaster. They land on the moon, and exit the rocket to explore the surface and enjoy a picnic.
When departing from the moon, the Cooker attempts to stow-away in the lower hull of the rocket, but he is blown out of the rocket and accidentally breaks off pieces of the hull during the blast. The robot fashions the left-behind parts of the rocket into a pair of skis which he uses to ski on the moon.
Wallace's moon Rocket has not been seen again; however several allusions to it were made in The Wrong Trousers, including a set of wall decorations in the opening shot of the film along with a miniature of the rocket atop Gromit's dresser. These decorations have since been retained in other films and commercials.
After a 21-year absence, it was finally seen again in Wallace and Gromit's World of Invention "Reach for the Sky". The rocket is noticeably more worn down (e.g. has black rings around the rivets) but newly updated (according to the Cracking Contraptions Manual book), showing that World of Invention takes place many years after A Grand Day Out. It appears again in the 2021 mobile app Wallace & Gromit: The Big Fix Up and the video game The Grand Getaway.
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Trivia[]
- The Rocket was the first of Wallace’s inventions to appear on-screen. Given also the lack of any other form of technology in the house in A Grand Day Out, it may also have been Wallace’s first invention overall.
- Given that it has neither malfunctioned nor been used against its builders, the rocket may arguably be the only one of Wallace’s inventions that has actually worked with successful results.
- Wallace uses Duck Vestas Matches to light the fuse to the rocket.
- In the Star Wars Visions episode "I Am Your Mother", which was produced by Aardman, a model of the rocket is seen in Anni’s room.
- The rocket appears as a kiddie ride in A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, possibly also during the credits.
- The rocket also appears as a toy in the Shaun the Sheep special The Flight Before Christmas.
