What would you take?
You'll never believe the things we've sent into space
Image: Pixabay / karen_la_banda
NASA has strict rules about non-essential items. And yet, over the decades, astronauts have managed to bring along all sorts of odd objects in their Personal Preference Kits. Sure, some may have been marketing stunts—like the time Pizza Hut delivered a meal to the International Space Station—but others were personal caprices, like David Walker’s gorilla suit smuggled onboard in 1984. Read on to discover the full list!
1
A gorilla suit
Image: ARTISTIC FRAMES
Space can get boring. It got a little more entertaining for astronaut Scott Kelly in 2016, when his twin brother, Mark Kelly, sent him a vacuum-sealed gorilla suit all the way to the ISS for his birthday.
Kelly’s crewmates didn’t know about it, so he had fun pranking them by suddenly appearing in the suit aboard the station. One of the prank videos went viral. As Kelly put it: "How can you not like space gorilla?"
2
Dirt from Yankee Stadium
Image: Chanan Greenblatt
Astronaut Garrett Reisman, a lifelong Yankees fan, of course, took a little piece of the Bronx to orbit . In 2008, aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-123, he brought a vial of dirt from Yankee Stadium’s pitcher’s mound—along with other Yankees memorabilia, including items autographed by players.
3
Amelia Earhart’s watch
Image: Tomas Martinez
In 2010, astronaut Shannon Walker brought Amelia Earhart’s watch to the International Space Station. The legendary aviator had worn it during two transatlantic flights , and it traveled to space on the 82nd anniversary of her first historic solo flight across the Atlantic.
4
Pizza
Image: Alan Hardman
Space pizza finally became a reality in 2001, when Pizza Hut paid millions to deliver a vacuum-sealed pizza to the International Space Station.
It was, quite literally, a publicity stunt out of this world . The pizza—topped with salami to withstand space conditions—was eaten by Russian cosmonaut Yuri Usachov aboard the ISS.
5
Pieces of the Wright Brothers’ first plane
Image: History in HD
Tucked into Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit was a small piece of fabric and a fragment of wood from the Wright Brothers' 1903 Flyer—carried all the way from Kitty Hawk to the Sea of Tranquility . He took them with him as he became the first person to step onto the Moon in 1969.
6
A set of instruments to play "Jingle Bells"
Image: Ali Rashedi
Just before Christmas in 1965, astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford pulled off a surprise serenade in space.
They had smuggled a harmonica and a set of sleigh bells aboard their Gemini 6A mission and played "Jingle Bells" for Mission Control—creating the first musical performance ever in space . The instruments are now on display at the Smithsonian Institution.
7
Several LEGO pieces
Image: Eugene Chystiakov
NASA's collaboration with LEGO took a literal leap when, in 2011, sets of LEGO bricks were sent to the International Space Station aboard mission STS-133.
Astronauts assembled models—such as the Hubble Space Telescope—in microgravity, engaging students around the world in STEM education.
8
A Buzz Lightyear toy
Image: Brian McGowan
Buzz Lightyear truly went " to infinity and beyond " when a 12-inch action figure flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in 2008. Spending 15 months on the International Space Station, Buzz was part of NASA’s educational outreach efforts.
Upon return, he was honored with a parade at Disney World and now resides in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.
9
A lightsaber
Image: superneox lightsaber
In a nod to sci-fi fandom, a lightsaber prop used by Mark Hamill in Return of the Jedi journeyed to space aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in 2007.
The initiative celebrated the 30th anniversary of Star Wars , symbolizing the intersection of science fiction and real-world space exploration.
10
Dinosaur bones
Image: Jesper Aggergaard
In 1985, during NASA's SpaceLab 2 mission, astronaut Loren Acton brought aboard a fossilized bone and a piece of eggshell from Maiasaura peeblesorum , a dinosaur species known for nurturing its young.
These fossils, discovered in Montana , were sent to space to symbolize the connection between Earth’s prehistoric life and space exploration.
11
Communion bread and wine
Image: James Coleman
In a very profound gesture, Buzz Aldrin privately took Christian communion aboard Apollo 11. As a Presbyterian elder , he carried a tiny wafer and a small pouch of wine, blessing them while orbiting the Moon shortly after the lunar landing.
12
Golf clubs (and golf balls)
Image: Peter Drew
During Apollo 14, Alan Shepard secretly packed a makeshift 6-iron —a golf club head duct-taped to a lunar tool—and two golf balls.
On live TV, he took a couple of awkward, one-handed swings while wearing his stiff spacesuit. The first ball flopped; the second soared "miles and miles," Shepard joked. It actually traveled about 40 yards, which is quite impressive in lunar terms.
