SPACE ODDITIES

10 Bizarre Objects Humans Sent Into Space

Image: NASA

Space exploration has propelled humanity into the cosmos, but along the way, we've also flung a bunch of bizarre objects at high velocity into the cold void of space.

From cultural artifacts to scientific experiments gone wrong, here are 10 weird things we've launched beyond Earth's atmosphere.

Image: Alan Hardman

In 2001, Pizza Hut made history by becoming the first company to deliver pizza to space. They sent a vacuum-sealed pizza to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a resupply mission, allowing astronauts to enjoy a taste of home among the stars.

As NASA has a restrictive policy regarding advertising and product endorsement, Pizza Hut had to turn to Roscosmos, paying the Russian agency $1 million to display their logo on the side of their rocket and deliver a shrink-wrapped salami pizza to cosmonaut Yuri Usachov.

Image: Schokraie E, Warnken U, Hotz-Wagenblatt A, Grohme MA, Hengherr S, et al. (2012), CC BY 2.5

These microscopic creatures, also known as water bears, are incredibly resilient and can survive extreme conditions, including the unforgiving vacuum of space. Since 2007, tardigrades have been sent into space onboard various scientific missions, and in November 2011, an Israeli lunar lander accidentally crashed on the Moon’s surface, potentially spilling around thousands of tardigrades in a cryptobiotic state that were part of the mission’s payload.

Whether these tough little beings have survived the impact is anyone’s guess, but if there’s a terrestrial species capable of withstanding the harshest environments, it’s them.

Image: Brian McGowan

In 2008, Disney and NASA collaborated to send a toy replica of Buzz Lightyear, the fictional space ranger from the movie "Toy Story," to the ISS. The toy spent 15 months aboard the station as part of an educational outreach program before returning to Earth.

And after returning to Earth, Buzz Lightyear got to meet its legendary namesake, Buzz Aldrin, who "coached" it for future space missions. The spacefaring toy was eventually donated to the Smithsonian Institution, where it now resides.

Image: Daniel K Cheung

People seem to love sending LEGO figurines on the craziest adventures, whether it’s strapping them to weather balloons, miniature submarines, or even on a mission to Jupiter! A partnership between NASA and LEGO in 2011 resulted in the creation of a very special set specifically designed for space travel. Three figurines representing statues of Galileo Galilei and the Roman gods Jupiter and Juno were sent onboard NASA’s Juno Mission towards the gas giant.

Image: Vlad Tchompalov

In 2018, SpaceX made headlines when they launched Elon Musk's personal Tesla Roadster into space aboard the company’s Falcon Heavy rocket. The car was piloted by a mannequin dubbed "Starman," and it served as a dummy payload to test the rocket's capabilities without endangering a real (and potentially more costly) payload.

Named after a David Bowie song, the mannequin and its shiny convertible will remain in a heliocentric orbit for millions of years, an enduring testimony to humanity’s ingenuity and sense of humor.

Image: Jesper Aggergaard

Surprisingly, not even dinosaurs are safe from being sent into space! In 1985, fossil bits from Maiasaura peeblesorum, a duck-billed dinosaur, visited the Mir space station onboard the shuttle Endeavor. And in 2014, a Tyrannosaurus fossil was launched into space as part of NASA’s Orion spacecraft test flights. More recently, Jeff Bezos' spaceflight company Blue Origin sent hundreds of 70 million years old Dromaeosaurus fossil fragments on a suborbital trajectory, as part of its "Club for the Future'' initiative.

Image: Alexander Maasch

It seems like SpaceX might send just about anything to space, as in 2010 it launched a wheel of cheese as part of a secret payload onboard the company’s Dragon space capsule. The only reason it was kept secret is because SpaceX’s CEO Elon Musk didn’t want to overshadow the success of the test flight.

The wheel of cheese is a - although debatable - reference to a classic skit from the British comedy show Monty Python's Flying Circus where John Cleese tries to order cheese from a "cheeseless cheese shop." While the joke might not have landed as well as in Elon’s head, the wheel of cheese certainly did, safely returning to Earth along with the company’s space capsule.

Image: superneox lightsaber

Of course, a real lightsaber should be rigorously space-tested, or at least that’s what anyone who has seen Star Wars would expect. As part of an educational program, in 2007, NASA carried one of the actual Luke Skywalker lightsaber props used in the movies aboard the Discovery space shuttle. The "elegant weapon for a more civilized age" spent a total of 14 days in orbit before successfully returning to Earth - and to George Lucas’s hands.

Image: Vinicius amnx Amano

Who'd have thought there was room for whisky research in space? In 2011, a Scotch distillery named Ardbeg sent samples of its whisky to learn how microgravity would affect the maturation process of their spirit, with the goal of improving whisky production back on Earth. Interestingly, after spending nearly three years in space, Ardbeg’s director of distilling claimed that the samples tasted noticeably different from their terrestrial counterparts, likely due to how microgravity affects the process of oak flavoring that is essential for making scotch.

Image: Mick Haupt

Yes, you read that right. According to some sources, the first object sent into space - even before Sputnik - was in all likelihood a manhole cover that was accidentally launched at turbocharged speed during Operation Plumbbob, one of the earliest nuclear tests conducted by the U.S. government in the 1950s.

Robert Brownlee, one of the scientists who worked on Operation Plumbbob, maintains that the accidental spacecraft was propelled at five times the escape velocity of the Earth (around 125,000 miles per hour) during the nuclear blast, seriously dwarfing the speed of any intentional spacecraft made by humanity so far. In fact, it was going so fast that it wouldn't have time to burn up in the atmosphere, and some argue that it carried enough momentum to actually leave the Solar system entirely.

STRANGE BEASTS

10 Unbelievably Weird Animals That Don’t Play By Nature’s Rules.

Image: Mattias Banguese

Nature seems to have a tendency to break its own rules. From the depths of the ocean to the highest peaks, the animal kingdom never ceases to amaze us with its many strange and surprising creatures.

Join us on an expedition to find rare (and not-so-rare) animals that seem to swim against the stream of nature in one way or another.

Image: Studio Crevettes

Resembling a walking pinecone, pangolins are the world’s only scaled mammal. They are covered in tough, overlapping scales made of keratin, the same material found in human fingernails. These elusive creatures, native to Africa and Asia, can curl up into a ball when threatened, making them nearly impervious to predators.

Image: Dan MacNeal, CC BY 4.0

With a face so strange it could give H.P. Lovecraft nightmares, this quirky creature of the eastern North American wetlands is certainly a sight to behold. The star-nosed mole possesses a bizarre appendage on its snout consisting of 22 fleshy tentacles. This unique adaptation allows it to rapidly probe its surroundings and detect prey, making it one of the fastest-foraging mammals in the world.

Image: A. D. Rogers et al., CC BY 2.5

Have you ever wondered what the cross of a lemur and a crab would look like? Neither did we. But this elusive crab species might have the answer. Discovered in 2005 near hydrothermal vents in the Pacific Ocean, the yeti crab sports long, silky hairs on its claws, giving it a striking resemblance to the mythical Yeti. These hairs are thought to harbor bacteria that the crab feeds on, representing a fascinating example of symbiotic relationships in deep-sea ecosystems.

Image: Macrophyseter, CC BY-SA 4.0

Hailing from the waters around Japan, the Japanese spider crab holds the title for the largest arthropod in the world, with a leg span reaching up to 12 feet. Despite its nightmare-inducing appearance and intimidating size, this crab is a gentle giant, primarily feeding on mollusks and carrion on the ocean floor. Amazingly, it can also camouflage itself by attaching sea sponges and other animals to its shell.

Image: Michael Jerrard

Endemic to Australia, the duck-billed platypus is a fascinating monotreme mammal known for its unique combination of features, including a duck-like bill, webbed feet, and the ability to lay eggs. A true exception to every rule in nature, their weirdness doesn’t end there! With venomous spurs on its hind legs and electroreceptors in its bill, this peculiar creature is one of Earth’s most unique animals.

Image: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

Inhabiting the forests of Madagascar, the leaf-tailed gecko possesses extraordinary camouflage abilities, blending seamlessly with its leafy surroundings. With a flattened tail that resembles a yellowing leaf, and an intricately patterned skin, this reptile is a true marvel of evolution.

Image: Amber Wolfe

Despite its diminutive size, the mantis shrimp packs an incredibly powerful punch, capable of striking its prey with its claws with the speed and force of a .22 caliber bullet. Even if the attack misses, the resulting shockwave might be more than enough to kill or stun it. Also, this colorful crustacean possesses compound eyes with trinocular vision, allowing it to perceive a broad spectrum of colors and detect prey with astonishing accuracy.

Image: Mattias Banguese

Axolotls are amphibians native to Mexico and world-famous for their regenerative abilities. Astonishingly, these creatures can regrow not only limbs but also parts of their brains and spinal cords. Additionally, unlike most amphibians, they reach adulthood without undergoing metamorphosis, retaining their larval features throughout their lives. Still, metamorphosis can be induced if given the necessary hormones, resulting in a land-dwelling axolotl that resembles a salamander.

Image: nomis-simon, CC BY 2.0

Found only in Madagascar, the aye-aye is a peculiar primate known for its elongated middle finger, which it uses to extract insects from tree trunks. Considered a bad omen by some locals, this nocturnal creature possesses large eyes and bat-like ears, adding to its eerie looks.

Image: Sylke Rohrlach from Sydney, CC BY-SA 2.0

The Glaucus atlanticus, also known as the blue dragon sea slug, is a strikingly beautiful but tremendously venomous creature found drifting on the ocean's surface. With its vibrant blue and silver coloration, this small mollusk feeds on Portuguese man o' war - as it is immune to its deadly venom - and absorbs the toxins, storing them for its own defense. In fact, it can concentrate the original venom, delivering an even more powerful sting than the animal on which it feeds.