Seventeen days after an intriguing tweet from TV’s Emma Kennedy, we now know the extent of Red Dwarf‘s contribution to this year’s Red Nose Day. As we figured out soon after our somewhat gun-jumping report, the show has donated an item to the Red Nose Day auction, all proceeds of which go, of course, to Comic Relief. The auction is now live, and it’s for a 3D-printed Starbug replica. It’s described as “an exact simulation of the one that crashed in Twentica” – not the actual one, considering that smashed into several pieces.

This is presumably a new print of that 3D model, so not something that’s been actually used on screen, but pretty bloody close. It comes signed by the cast, and with a certificate of authentication signed by Doug Naylor. Although, the most that can be authenticated is that it’s authentically made by the same people who made the one for the show. Those people, incidentally, are Voxeljet, who have recently released a video showcasing their work on Starbug. It features some cracking new footage of the model’s creation, as well as its use on set, and interviews with Doug and Richard in full on corporate video mode. Lovely stuff.

The bidding starts at £250 and continues for nine days, so it’s not going to be in everyone’s price range. For a more affordable way of supporting Comic Relief – which really is a cause worth supporting in these deeply troubled times – you could consider buying a raffle ticket for the chance to meet seven Doctor Whos, or simply buying a red nose, or donating directly.