Buzz
With a focus on exploring the unknown, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been behind many unconventional experiments. To ensure the safety of astronauts, they tested lunar dust on oysters and even had a man smell 800 space-bound objects.
NASA's curiosity led scientists to transform photographs into music and simulate oceans in cups. The agency's issues can be just as strange, from crews using curse words to concerns about an out-of-control Martian settlement—NASA proves that truth is stranger than fiction.
10. NASA Tracked A Bizarre Iceberg
In 2018, a photograph emerged that would have been written off as a hoax if not for its origin—NASA. It depicted an iceberg that resembled a floating table. The rectangular shape had such perfect edges that it seemed almost unreal. These peculiar ice formations are known as tabular icebergs. They break off ice shelves and often have straight, clean edges.
NASA researchers speculated that the iceberg’s flawless form indicated it was a recent calving. Over time, nature’s forces gradually wear down the sharp edges of a tabular iceberg.
Intrigued by its origins, the team used satellites to track down its parent. The images uncovered the iceberg’s origin and its journey, revealing that the sheet had endured significant forces. This particular tabular iceberg had broken off from the Larsen C ice shelf in Antarctica.
Yet, it didn’t start off as geometrically perfect. The tabular iceberg drifted northward through a narrow, violent passage, which scientists compared to a nutcracker. Anything passing through this route was crushed between a colossal iceberg and an ice shelf, often ruining their pristine shape.
Satellite images revealed that the channel, not the Larsen C shelf, was responsible for shaping the flawless tabular iceberg.
9. The Nasalnaut
By 2018, George Aldrich had completed 44 years as a chemical specialist at NASA. He is also the proud winner of the Silver Snoopy Sniffer Award. This unique honor is given to individuals who assess the smells of objects before they are sent into space. It may seem odd, but unpleasant odors can be a serious issue in space.
If astronauts are exposed to a bad smell in a cramped environment, it could lead to illness or decreased productivity. To combat this, NASA has an official odor panel. Five volunteers sniff various items intended for space missions and rate them on a scale from 0 to 4. Any item that scores above a 2.5 is rejected.
Before beginning their scent assessments, the panelists undergo a thorough medical check-up to ensure their noses are in optimal condition. NASA staff affectionately call George Aldrich “NASA nose” and “Nostrildamus,” though Aldrich prefers the title “nasalnaut.” After completing over 800 scent tests for the space agency, he’s certainly earned it.
8. The Failed Robot
In the 1960s, NASA set out to design the perfect spacesuit. Relying on human feedback proved unreliable, as they needed concrete numbers and measurements, not vague comments like, “Gee, the elbow is a bit stiff.”
Engineer Joe Slowik came up with an innovative solution—a robot. This articulated dummy could perform a variety of human-like movements, including an adorable hand-shake. Sadly, it leaked oil, and despite efforts, the issue couldn’t be resolved. The small hydraulic valves necessary for its movement were prone to failure under the pressurized fluid.
Back then, a spacesuit cost the equivalent of $750,000 today. In 1967, the robot was dismissed before it could damage any suits. The next year, it was briefly used by bionics researchers at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. Eventually, it was auctioned off and donated to the National Air and Space Museum in Maryland in 1986.
For years, the staff was in the dark about who created it or the reason behind its existence. It wasn’t until Mike Slowik, the son of the creator, reached out to the museum that they discovered the robot’s connection to NASA.
7. Earth’s Adoption Agency
In 2017, NASA adopted a familiar conservation approach. Borrowing from programs like adopt-a-rainforest and adopt-a-puffin, the agency launched a campaign to allow people to “adopt” Earth. This initiative aimed to raise awareness about environmental concerns and Earth sciences.
The “Adopt the Planet” program divided the planet into 64,000 hexagonal sections, each covering an area of 88 kilometers (55 miles) wide. Participants could sign up and receive a random tile, along with an adoption certificate and decades of Earth science data related to their assigned section.
The initiative was launched to commemorate Earth Day, with the goal of having the entire planet adopted by April 22. At the same time, it highlighted NASA’s commitment to studying Earth and space, even amidst significant budget cuts imposed by the White House.
6. NASA Dosed Animals With Dust
Lunar exploration brought with it a new concern. If harmful germs came back with the astronauts, humanity could face exposure to pathogens it had no defense against.
After 1999, NASA decided to conduct safety tests. They were bizarre. To study lunar contamination's effect on nonhuman life, scientists crushed some of NASA’s valuable Moon rocks. The dust was then separated. One portion was heated to ensure sterilization, while the other remained untreated and potentially hazardous.
They sprinkled the lunar dust into aquariums housing fish. Oysters and shrimp were dusted for the shellfish test. Mice, chosen to represent land mammals, were injected with the powder. Birds, specifically Japanese quails, received the shot. Insects, like cockroaches and flies, consumed the dust along with their food.
A month later, the animals were all doing well, except for the oysters. Most of them died, regardless of whether they were in clean or lunar water. Microscopic analysis revealed that the Moon rocks contained no microorganisms. It turns out lunar soil is harmless, and the oyster deaths were attributed to the fact that they were tested during their breeding season.
5. The Solar Wind Trap
The Genesis spacecraft was a highly ambitious mission. Launched in 2001, it carried a range of high-purity materials, including gold, sapphire, silicon, and aluminum.
The shiny materials had a purpose. Their composition was designed to capture solar wind, the charged particles emitted by the Sun’s corona. These particles could provide insights into the Sun’s composition and the early elements of our solar system.
For years, Genesis orbited Lagrange point 1, a location where the Sun and Earth’s gravity balance perfectly. The spacecraft collected the precious particles and returned to Earth in 2004.
The excitement quickly turned to disaster when both parachutes on the capsule failed. Genesis crashed into Utah at 310 kilometers per hour (193 mph). The failure was attributed to two sensors that were supposed to detect gravity and deploy the parachutes, but they had been installed incorrectly.
The crash destroyed several arrays and contaminated the solar samples. Fortunately, some remained intact, providing scientists with the particles they needed and a glimpse into the Sun’s inner workings.
4. NASA Created Mini Primitive Seas
Around four billion years ago, when life first emerged on Earth, the planet’s surface was bombarded by solar radiation. Since the harmful rays couldn’t fully penetrate the oceans, it’s believed that life began in the sea.
Deep-sea hydrothermal vents have ecosystems that don’t rely on the Sun’s energy. Instead, they depend on chemicals and heat. One theory proposes that life could have originated in these hydrothermal environments.
To test this, NASA astrobiologists recreated ancient seafloors in beakers in 2019. They added two molecules found in hydrothermal conditions—pyruvate and ammonia—along with other minerals to the water.
To simulate the conditions of the early ocean, the scientists removed oxygen, adjusted the pH to be more alkaline, and introduced iron hydroxide. The water was also heated to 70 degrees Celsius (158°F), mimicking the temperature near a vent.
After adding a small amount of oxygen, alanine and alpha hydroxy acid lactate formed. Alanine is an amino acid, and the other is its by-product. Together, they can create organic molecules that might lead to life. While the exact origins remain a mystery, the experiment showed that hydrothermal environments had the necessary ingredients for life.
3. The Challenge of Martian Law
Humanity’s ambition to settle Mars is burning bright, with everyone from NASA to private corporations dreaming of a Red Planet colony. A major issue that’s emerging, however, is Martian law. Right now, such laws simply don’t exist.
To explore this, NASA ran a study involving long-term isolation, simulating life as a Martian settler. The experiment showed that the pressures of confined living might make Earth-based laws unfit for Mars, particularly those modeled after current space station regulations.
Space stations typically operate under a single, unquestioned authority, often led by one commander. However, this might clash with the highly educated individuals expected to be the first to inhabit Mars, who are more likely to favor a democratic system.
There are also questions about the colonists' legal status, how crimes will be handled, and the complex issue of Martian mining rights. NASA still has to establish laws for Mars, but many believe the settlers will bring their own unpredictable influence on how they are governed.
2. Music Created From Hubble Images
In 2019, NASA found a way to transform space into a symphony. They began by selecting a photograph taken by the renowned Hubble Space Telescope. Captured the previous year, this particular image was extraordinary, as it showcased nearly 1,000 galaxies, earning it the title of ‘galactic treasure chest.’
This image was then translated into musical notes, with variations based on the object’s position and type. Shorter sounds were assigned to stars and compact galaxies, while spiral galaxies produced more complex, elongated notes. Objects positioned lower in the image generated lower sounds, while those at the top had higher frequencies.
The time bar moved steadily from left to right, playing the music as it went. The result was eerie, unsettling, and haunting. As the bar reached the galaxy cluster RXC J0142.9+4438 near the center, the density of this area caused a surge in midrange tones, which many described as the most captivating part of the photograph’s soundtrack.
1. NASA Hypnotized A Cursing Astronaut
During the early days of the space race, the American public was eagerly watching, so NASA was keen on projecting a family-friendly image. However, there was a complication. Many of the astronauts were rough ex-military men, prone to dropping f-bombs and other colorful language, which didn't quite match NASA's wholesome public image.
To resolve this, NASA edited footage to sanitize the films before airing them publicly, working hard to keep their struggle with swearing astronauts under wraps. As a result, the identity of one particularly foul-mouthed astronaut remains unknown. He swore like he was vying for an award.
NASA came up with a unique solution: hypnosis. Before his mission, a psychiatrist suggested that whenever the astronaut felt the urge to curse, he should hum instead. While the astronaut's identity is still a mystery, one man certainly stood out, humming his way across the Moon's surface—Commander Pete Conrad.
