Buzz
Humanity’s exploration of space is marked by significant milestones, from the moon landing to observing the vast universe through powerful telescopes. However, not all of the items launched into space are monumental or serious in nature. Some are downright quirky, whimsical, or even downright bizarre.
These strange items sent into the unknown often come with stories as fascinating as they are unusual, showcasing the human spirit in all its curious, playful, and inventive splendor.
10. Salmonella Bacteria
Salmonella bacteria, the culprits behind food poisoning, were sent to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard space shuttle missions in 2006 and 2008, leading to a surprising discovery. In the unique microgravity of space, these bacteria became more virulent than their Earth counterparts. This finding is crucial, as space conditions mimic those inside human intestines, where a mechanical force called fluid shear is minimal, just like in space. This similarity allows researchers to gain insights into how salmonella behaves within the human body.
Space-based research has opened new doors for enhancing food safety and developing novel treatments and vaccines to combat food poisoning on Earth. It also offers insights for safeguarding astronauts from infectious diseases during space missions. A key discovery by Cheryl Nickerson from the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University reveals that by adjusting the ion levels in the bacteria's environment, it's possible to halt the virulence increase seen in space. This breakthrough could lead to new methods for treating salmonella infections both on Earth and in space.
This research holds immense importance as NASA gears up for longer space missions to the moon and Mars, where astronauts will be far from medical assistance and may face weakened immune systems due to microgravity, making them more vulnerable to illnesses and infections. Understanding and addressing microbial threats in space is a crucial step toward ensuring astronaut health and safety during future long-duration missions.
9. A Recording of Human Brainwaves
In the summer of 1977, NASA launched the Voyager Interstellar Mission, sending two spacecraft into deep space. Each spacecraft carried a golden record, designed as a time capsule meant to endure for a billion years. The records contained sounds and music from Earth, including meaningful moments like a mother’s first words to her child, a kiss, and greetings in 59 different languages.
The goal of these records was to send a message to any potential alien civilization that might come across them. The project was led by the famous astronomer and science communicator Carl Sagan, with creative direction from Ann Druyan. During the Voyager mission, Druyan and Sagan fell in love and later married in 1981.
One of Druyan’s contributions to the golden record was the inclusion of electrical impulses from the human brain and nervous system. Shortly after their engagement, she captured these impulses while meditating on the concept of love at Bellevue Hospital. This personal addition was meant to communicate the depth of human emotion to any extraterrestrial beings that might encounter it.
The golden records have now traveled far beyond our solar system, speeding at 35,000 miles per hour into the vastness of interstellar space. They carry with them the sounds of Earth and the timeless story of human love that transcends both time and space.
8. LEGO Minifigures
In 2011, three special LEGO figurines were sent to Jupiter aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft. These unique LEGO Minifigures depicted the Roman god Jupiter, his wife Juno, and the famous “father of science,” Galileo Galilei. This was part of the “Bricks in Space” initiative, a collaboration between NASA and the LEGO Group designed to inspire children to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Scott Bolton, the principal investigator for the Juno mission, highlighted NASA’s long-standing partnership with LEGO and the educational value of the toy. The Juno spacecraft, along with the minifigures, was expected to reach Jupiter in July 2016, where it would orbit the planet for a year before deliberately descending into its gaseous atmosphere.
In mythology, Jupiter used clouds to hide his mischief, but Juno had the ability to see through them, revealing his true nature. Similarly, the Juno spacecraft aimed to peer through Jupiter’s clouds to uncover its structure and history. The LEGO figure of Juno carried a magnifying glass, symbolizing her quest for truth, while Jupiter held a lightning bolt. Galileo Galilei, known for his groundbreaking discoveries about Jupiter, including the identification of its four largest moons, was represented with a telescope.
Interestingly, the LEGO figures were not made of plastic but rather space-grade aluminum. They underwent extensive testing to ensure their durability for the mission. Alongside these figures, a plaque honoring Galileo, crafted from flight-grade aluminum, was attached to the Juno spacecraft. This plaque featured a self-portrait of Galileo and included a passage from 1610 describing his observations of Jupiter.
7. Sea Urchin Sperm
In the 1990s, scientists sent sea urchin eggs into space aboard rockets to investigate whether they could still develop in zero gravity, just as they would on Earth. The results were surprising: the eggs could indeed be fertilized and begin developing into baby sea urchins even in the weightlessness of space. However, a curious thing was noticed—if the eggs spent time in space without fertilization, they were unable to resume development once back on Earth.
During one of the 1993 space missions, researchers closely observed the initial stages of a sea urchin embryo’s development, where the single egg divides into many cells, to see if space travel affected this process. It was discovered that while the cells could sense the absence of gravity, they continued to develop correctly. This led scientists to believe that these cells might have a unique mechanism for sensing gravity tied to their own growth patterns.
These space experiments were significant because they showed that rockets could serve as valuable environments for studying the origins and development of life, provided scientists focus on the right early stages. The main takeaway is that, at least for sea urchins, the very beginning of life appears unaffected by the absence of gravity.
However, scientists are still puzzled about the effects of prolonged zero gravity. The space experiments sparked further curiosity about how gravity might influence the growth and development of living organisms under such extreme conditions.
6. A Fragment of the Wright Brothers’ Airplane
In July 1969, Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon, carried with him pieces of the Wright Flyer to honor aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright. Among these items were fabric and propeller fragments from the aircraft that made the first powered flight in 1903.
As the 50th anniversary of Armstrong’s historic moon landing approached, and with the release of the biographical film First Man, over 3,000 of Armstrong’s personal items were auctioned, including parts of the Wright Flyer. These artifacts, which Armstrong had received through an arrangement with the U.S. Air Force Museum, were part of his “personal preference kit” allowed on the lunar module. Armstrong, an Ohio native like the Wright brothers, had long admired them and extensively studied their work.
At the time, the media drew parallels between the moon landing and the Wright brothers’ flight, highlighting the contrasting types of courage involved. A 1969 TIME article reflected on how the Apollo 11 mission marked a shift from individual bravery to a collective, meticulously coordinated effort, where astronauts became part of a vast system, their actions carefully monitored and supported by technology and teams. However, others saw a common thread in the groundbreaking influence both events had on humanity’s relationship with the environment and the universe.
5. Luke Skywalker’s Lightsaber
In October 2007, the space shuttle Discovery’s STS-120 mission carried a piece of pop culture history alongside its crew and a new module for the International Space Station: the original lightsaber prop used by Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in the 1977 classic film Star Wars. This marked part of the 30th-anniversary celebration of the beloved movie franchise.
Before embarking on its space journey, the lightsaber was part of a special ceremony at Oakland International Airport in California, where it was handed over to NASA officials by none other than Chewbacca. Other characters, including Boba and Jango Fett, were also there to send the prop off. Upon arriving in Houston, Texas, the lightsaber was greeted by Stormtroopers and R2-D2, then displayed at Space Center Houston before being readied for its flight into space.
The shuttle mission, under the command of Pam Melroy and pilot George Zamka, involved a seven-person crew tasked with delivering the Harmony module to the space station. The lightsaber’s farewell and its subsequent journey into space served as a fun homage to the cultural impact of the Star Wars franchise, blending the realms of science fiction and real-life space exploration.
4. A Tesla Roadster
In February 2018, SpaceX reached a major milestone by launching a Tesla Roadster into space aboard the inaugural flight of their Falcon Heavy rocket. This momentous event was more than a mere demonstration of the rocket's power; it was a symbolic gesture intended to inspire humanity, as described by Elon Musk, the CEO of both SpaceX and Tesla.
Musk stressed the importance of moments that go beyond problem-solving, noting that such events help make life more meaningful. The Tesla Roadster, with a mannequin driver named “Starman,” has been in an elliptical orbit around the Sun, completing a full revolution every 557 days. The roadster has already made its first close pass by Mars, coming within 5 million miles (8 million kilometers) of the Red Planet, and it’s on a path that will bring it near Earth, passing just 32 million miles (51.5 million kilometers) away.
Having been in orbit for over two years, the roadster has completed 1.75 orbits around the Sun. It is currently traveling at around 55,000mph (34,157 km/h) and is approximately 37 million miles (59.5 million kilometers) from Earth.
Interestingly, the car has far surpassed its original 36,000-mile (57.9-kilometer) warranty, metaphorically speaking, as it continues to orbit the Sun. Eventually, the Tesla will either burn up in the atmosphere of Earth or Venus, but that fiery fate is still at least 10 million years away.
3. A Corned Beef Sandwich
NASA astronaut John Young, renowned for his pivotal role in the U.S. space program, also left behind an amusing chapter in history involving a corned beef sandwich. On March 23, 1965, during the Gemini 3 mission, Young sneaked the sandwich into space by hiding it in his pocket. This flight was significant as it was the first U.S. space mission to carry two astronauts—Young and Gus Grissom—and occurred amid the heated Space Race, shortly after the Soviets had launched their own two-person mission.
The sandwich's presence became known when Young and Grissom had a brief exchange, which was captured in the mission’s transcript. Grissom, noticing the sandwich was crumbling, decided to hide it, as the crumbs could have disrupted the spacecraft’s systems. Although a minor issue, the incident caught the attention of U.S. politicians and led to a review by the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, which raised concerns about the risks posed by crumbs in a spacecraft.
NASA officials, including Administrator James Webb, were called to testify, and precautions were put in place to avoid similar situations in the future. Despite the controversy, the sandwich incident is often remembered with humor. In fact, it even resulted in corned beef being included on the menu for the first space shuttle mission in 1981, which Young also commanded.
Today, astronauts still make sandwiches in space, but they use tortillas to avoid crumbs. The corned beef sandwich episode is commemorated with a replica on display at the Grissom Memorial Museum in Indiana, serving as a light-hearted reminder in the chronicles of space exploration.
2. The Ashes of Star Trek’s Creator
In 2024, Celestis, a company that specializes in space burials, will launch an innovative mission that will carry nearly 200 capsules containing cremated remains and DNA samples, including those of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, his wife Majel Barrett Roddenberry, and their son Eugene 'Rod' Roddenberry. This mission, called the Voyager Memorial Spaceflight, will send these remains and DNA samples on an eternal journey to orbit the Sun, marking a new milestone in space burials.
Majel Barrett Roddenberry, fondly known as 'The First Lady of Trek,' was an actress in the original Star Trek series and the voice behind the USS Enterprise’s computer in both the series and films. The mission will also carry the remains of other Star Trek cast members, including James Doohan (Scotty), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), and DeForest Kelley (Bones).
The launch will take place at Cape Canaveral, Florida, conducted by United Launch Alliance, and will be part of a three-day memorial event. A Vulcan Centaur rocket will carry the capsules into space, where they will travel beyond the Earth-Moon system and the James Webb telescope, ultimately becoming part of the Enterprise Station, the most distant permanent human memorial orbiting the Sun.
Celestis offers a real-time tracking service, allowing families and friends to follow the journey of their loved one’s remains through space. This mission is considered a way for individuals to leave a lasting legacy and take part in an 'ultimate road trip' across the cosmos.
1. A Wheel of Cheese
In 2010, SpaceX, the private spaceflight company, made a memorable move in space history by sending a large wheel of Le Brouere cheese into orbit as a hidden cargo aboard the inaugural flight of its Dragon space capsule. This humorous gesture was a playful tribute to a classic sketch from the British comedy show Monty Python’s Flying Circus, where John Cleese tries in vain to order cheese from a shop that doesn’t carry any.
The cheese was placed inside a metal container, decorated with an image that evoked the Top Secret! movie poster featuring a cow in galoshes. The Dragon capsule’s flight marked a groundbreaking achievement, as it became the first commercial spacecraft to not only reach orbit but also safely return to Earth, completing two orbits before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.
This quirky episode wasn’t just a whimsical moment in space history, but also a showcase of SpaceX’s forward-thinking approach to space exploration. Known for its pioneering reusable rocket technology, SpaceX demonstrated this again when it successfully reused an orbital rocket booster, marking a significant step toward making space travel more affordable.
Elon Musk’s tweet—uh, x-post… or whatever they call it now—about the cheese payload followed this success and teased the upcoming launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket, which would feature three reusable boosters and have the ability to send a small crew to the moon.
