The exploration of space has not only advanced our understanding of the universe, but it has also provided a unique canvas for some of the most unusual human endeavors. Over the years, various strange and unexpected items have been sent into space, ranging from the symbolic and scientific to the outright bizarre, and here are the weirdest of them all.
Dinosaur Bones
On May 20, 2021, Blue Origin launched nearly 200 individual dinosaur bone fragments on a New Shepard rocket. The bones included a piece of a Maiasaura and the skull of a Coelophysis. The bones were auctioned off upon their return to Earth to raise money for charity.
Salmonella Bacteria
Salmonella samples were sent to the International Space Station to study the effects of space on its virulence. The bacteria became even more virulent when the salmonella returned to Earth after being in orbit for 12 days on the space shuttle Atlantis.
A Lightsaber
Chewbacca ceremoniously escorted the lightsaber and several X-wing pilots to its flight from California, landing at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Mark Hamill’s prop lightsaber from Return of the Jedi spent two weeks on the STS-120 mission in 2007 before being returned to its proper place with George Lucas.
A Tesla Roadster
In 2018, SpaceX launched its Falcon Heavy rocket, and Elon Musk’s cherry-red Tesla Roadster was onboard. It was sent into space with a mannequin driver named “Starman.” The February launch made history for the private space company, where a feed from Starman’s perspective could be live-streamed from space.
Human Ashes
The remains of several individuals, including Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and astronaut Gordon Cooper, have been sent into space as part of memorial spaceflights. Star Trek engineer Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, James Doohan, wished for his ashes to be sent to space; after several failed attempts, his ashes were snuck on board the ISS.
A Toy Dinosaur
During the historic SpaceX flight, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley were accompanied by “Tremor,” a sparkly Apatosaurus. The crewmen’s sons chose the toy, which acted as a zero-g indicator.
Legos
Mini-figurines of the Roman god Jupiter, his wife Juno, and Galileo Galilei were sent to space aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft. In 2019, the Lego company also sent a model of a conceptual future lunar base to the boundary of space by attaching it to a specialized balloon.
Pizza
Pizza Hut wanted to make history by becoming the first company in the world to deliver pizza to space, and they did. Extra seasoning was added to the food because astronauts can lose their sense of taste in space, and salami was used instead of pepperoni because it had a longer shelf life. The BBC reported that the pizza had to be prepared well before the launch.
Buzz Lightyear Toy
In May 2008, a Buzz Lightyear model was launched into space on the Space Shuttle Discovery and spent 467 days in space aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Part of the Toys in Space educational program with Disney and NASA is designed to excite kids about space science.
Amelia Earhart’s Watch
Earhart’s story has been an inspiration for many young female aviators and astronauts, including NASA astronaut Shannon Walker, who took the wristwatch Earhart wore on her famous transatlantic flight with her to the ISS in 2010, according to Experts Watches. Earhart wore a different watch on her fatal final journey, from which her body was never discovered.
A Treadmill Named COLBERT
This was dubbed the Combined Operational Load-Bearing External Resistance Treadmill, or COLBERT. The treadmill’s manufacturer nickel-plated the parts, and unlike a standard treadmill, there are elastic straps that fit around the runner’s shoulders and waist to keep them from careening across the space station. The naming came after Stephen Colbert won by write-in votes in a naming competition by NASA.
A Gorilla Suit
In 2016, retired astronaut and current U.S. Senator Mark Kelly smuggled a full-body gorilla suit to his identical twin Scott while he was staying on board the ISS. Mark Kelly had originally tried to smuggle a gorilla suit to Scott in 2015, but the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket it was stashed on exploded in a ball of flames shortly after liftoff.
A Sandwich
A frenzy of worry about crumbs in the equipment occurred after Astronaut John Young smuggled a corned beef sandwich into space during the Gemini 3 mission. Ironically enough, one of the objectives of the launch, NASA’s first flight carrying more than one astronaut, was to test NASA’s own nutritional pouches as a foodstuff. Partway into the mission, John pulled out the sandwich and shared a bite with his crewmate, Gus Grissom.
Guns
Soviet cosmonauts carried a triple-barrel TP-82 gun for protection against wildlife upon landing. The heavy-duty weapon was deemed necessary after 1965, when cosmonauts landed on Earth and became stranded in the Ural Mountains, fearing the local wolves and bears would attack them.
Musical Instruments
For astronauts living on the ISS, spending so much time away from Earthly comforts can have a psychological cost. Various musical instruments, including a harmonica and bells, have been played in space to help with mental health. When astronauts play a wind instrument, like the flute, they must keep their feet in loops to stop them from being propelled backward by the air they’re blowing out of the instrument.
Voyager’s Golden Records
These records, containing sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life on Earth, were sent into space aboard the Voyager spacecraft. To make sure aliens knew the crafts were from Earth, they fitted a 12-inch golden record to each one, with instructions on how to play it.
The records include 115 images in analog form, greetings spoken in 55 languages followed by the “sounds of Earth,” and a 90-minute selection of music throughout the ages from around the world.
A Dirty Sketch by Andy Warhol
A small, cheeky artwork by Andy Warhol was included in a time capsule aboard a spacecraft. The doodle was one of six included on a tiny ceramic tile known as The Moon Museum. Bell Laboratories secretly attached the tile to the Apollo 12 lunar lander, which currently sits on the moon, according to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
Tardigrades
Many animals that we know of, such as dogs, apes, monkeys, and rodents, have been sent to space. In addition, lots of other creatures have made it into space, including cats, frogs, fruit flies, tortoises, fish, and jellyfish. However, the weirdest animals to be sent to space are arguably tardigrades. Also known as water bears, these microscopic creatures known for their resilience were sent to space to study their survival in extreme conditions.
Uber Eats
An order from Uber Eats, including traditional Japanese dishes, was delivered to the ISS by a Japanese entrepreneur. Yusaku Maezawa rode aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station, where he delivered “boiled mackerel in miso, beef bowl cooked in sweet sauce, simmered chicken with bamboo shoots, and braised pork.” The food was hand-delivered, complete with the branded Uber Eats paper bag.