'It's out of this world': Leeds craft business lands on Mars after winning NASA rover competition

The astronomical achievement came after social enterprise group Fabrication Leeds, which supports local craft sellers, won a competition to have its name engraved on a microchip in NASA's Perseverance rover.

The gravity of the win was not lost on CEO Dawn Wood, who spoke about the (inter)stellar coup which she said is fitting for their mission to help local artists.

Dawn said: "We’ve been sending out teasers on social media on our brand new shop - we said it’s very red and a bit warm up there.

"The landing was a bit rough on the stock but all our crockery is still intact!

"It’s fitting because we’re on a mission to save the high street, and we are out of this world."

The company launched in 2008 and supports about 100 local artists, with retail spaces in Leeds and York.

One of the sellers Tess Tickle's Treasures entered Fabrication Leeds into the competition about a year ago.

Their perseverance paid off when they were announced as one of the winners and they received a special boarding pass before the rover launched off last July.

The rover safely landed on the red planet on Thursday night after a nail-biting landing.

Dawn added: "I had no idea she had entered. We didn't think anything would come of it, it was just a throwaway.

"We found out before the launch that we were one of the winners and they sent us the boarding pass. We’ve just been waiting for it to get there.

"If folks can't get to Mars, we are open online for click and collect."

Support the YEP and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news and the latest on Leeds United, With a digital subscription, you see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.