Save Epsilon 6!

Trevor Hogg uncovers the visual effects work of Weta Digital on the Netflix series Space Force…

In December 2019, American President Donald Trump signed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act to establish the sixth branch of the US military called Space Force. Realizing the comedic potential of such a venture, former The Office colleagues Greg Daniels and Steve Carell created the Netflix series Space Force, which features a bumbling General Mark R. Naird (Carell) with the presidential mandate to have “boots on the moon” by 2024.

A satellite repair mission is the focus of the second episode titled ‘Save Epsilon 6!’. Rather than listen to the proposals from his science team, Naird decides to recruit Marcus and Theodore, a chimpanzee and Alaskan Klee Kai husky, in orbit for a promotional mission, to reattach the solar panels on the Epsilon 6. In reality, these animals only exist as digital creations by Weta Digital under the direction of visual effects supervisor Chris White and animation supervisor Aidan Martin, both of whom previously produced CG primates for the Planet Of The Apes prequel trilogy and The Umbrella Academy.