While the question of whether we are alone in the Universe remains unanswered, we send all sorts of objects into space. Whether it’s the Voyagers with their gold plates on board or a Tesla electric car, we hope that something or someone will find them and maybe even send a friendly greeting in return. But maybe we also want the vastness of the Universe to feel a little more human and homey – yes, there’s actually no overarching reason why people send objects into space. Ultimately, various aspects of the human psyche contribute to it. Plus, some objects sent into space, including a recently discovered batch of dinosaur bones, have returned to Earth, increasing their symbolic and economic value. We tell you who’s sending a gorilla suit, pizza, and human remains into Earth orbit and why.
Over the past 60 years, a huge number of objects have been launched into orbit and beyond, many of which have nothing to do with scientific research. Image: www.popsci.com
Contents
- 1 Space exploration
- 2 From telescopes to the ISS
- 3 Not just science
- 4 Space funerals
- 5 Dinosaurs in space
- 6 Pizza and paint
Space exploration
Over the past 60 years, humanity has sent many different objects and devices into space, each of which has played a role in the exploration of outer space and in expanding our knowledge of the universe. Some of the first objects sent into space were satellites – the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik 1, which took place on October 4, 1957, is considered to be the beginning of the space era. This simple device weighed only 83.6 kg and transmitted radio signals, and its success opened a new era in human history.
Needless to say, the number and variety of satellites has increased significantly over the years. Today, there are thousands of satellites in space, performing a variety of tasks: from Earth observation and meteorological research to providing communications and navigation.
The first Earth satellite was created by Soviet engineers. Image: cdn.iz.ru
The next step in space exploration was the sending of space probes and interplanetary spacecraft. The first successful interplanetary probe was the Soviet apparatus Luna-2, which reached the surface of the Moon in 1959. This probe confirmed the possibility of delivering devices to other celestial bodies.
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Since then, many probes have been sent to various planets and their satellites, including Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Of particular note are the American Voyager probes, launched in 1977. These devices not only explored the outer planets of the Solar System, but also continue to send data from the edges of our system for over 40 years. We wrote about their space journey in more detail here.
From Telescopes to the ISS
One of the most important achievements in space exploration has been the sending of space telescopes into orbit. The most famous of these is Hubble, launched in 1990. It was this telescope that made it possible to make many discoveries in the field of astronomy and obtain images of distant galaxies with unprecedented clarity.
In addition to Hubble, other spacecraft have been launched into space, including Kepler, which searched for exoplanets, and Spitzer, which specialized in infrared observations. In 2021, the James Webb telescope was launched into orbit, which is the successor to Hubble and has even more powerful capabilities for studying the Universe.
Scientists have sent many space telescopes into orbit around the Earth. Image: historicspacecraft.com
Another area of space research is the creation and operation of space stations. Let us recall that the world's first space station, Salyut-1, was launched by the Soviet Union in 1971. It was followed by stations such as Salyut, Almaz, and Skylab. A special place in this list, as the esteemed reader has probably already guessed, is occupied by the International Space Station (ISS), which was commissioned in 1998 and remains in orbit to this day. The ISS is the result of international cooperation and serves as a laboratory for conducting scientific experiments in zero gravity conditions.
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Not only science
While space exploration is often taken seriously, there are some things people do just for fun. Or just because they can. According to space archaeologist and art historian Justin Walsh of the University of California, some items sent into space have cultural value, including radio broadcasts, advertising messages, and artifacts. For example, NASA Apollo 14 astronaut Alan Shepard smuggled two golf balls to the surface of the moon in 1971 and began swinging them right there.
As it turned out later, Shepard hid the golf balls in his socks and borrowed the metal tip from the club. Having completed the main mission, the American astronaut attached the tip of the club to a tool for collecting soil samples and hit each of the balls. As funny as this situation may seem to us, the fact that Shepard was able to get the balls into the air is already impressive: he hit one of them on the third try, wearing a spacesuit weighing 80 kilograms.
American astronaut played golf on the Moon. Image: img06.rl0.ru
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Space funerals
So, near-Earth orbit has become a place for the implementation of a variety of projects, and in recent years, paintings and sculptures have been sent into space. Thus, in 2012, British artist Trevor Paglen sent a gold plate with an image of a star into orbit, which should remain in space for millions of years.
The most surprising thing, however, is the sending of symbolic and memorial objects into space, including the ashes of famous people. Such projects highlight humanity's desire to leave its mark in space and pass on its legacy to future generations.
Today, some companies specialize in “space funerals.” starlust.org
The first ever “space funeral” took place in 1992, when the cremated remains of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry were carried into orbit by the space shuttle Columbia and then returned to Earth. Since then, NASA and private space companies have launched the ashes of several scientists and celebrities into space. Sometimes, the remains never return to Earth.
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Dinosaurs in space
Given the scale of space missions and the objects that accidentally end up in space, it's not a silly question to ask what dinosaur bones are doing on Earth. In fact, the bones of these ancient animals have been launched into space at least four times, most recently aboard a Blue Origin rocket in 2021. In this case, they were the remains of a dromaeosaur, a bird-like predator. When the remains returned to Earth, they were auctioned off for charity.
Dinosaurs Have Been to Space. Image: assets.iflscience.com
Well, the first dinosaur remains were sent into flight in 1985 aboard the space shuttle Challenger (a piece of vertebra and the eggshell of a baby Maiasaura). The bones returned to Earth about eight days later. Then in 1998 they were followed by the skull of a representative of the Coelophysis species, which was delivered aboard the space shuttle Endeavour, and the remains of a Tyrannosaurus rex during a test flight of NASA's Orion spacecraft (in 2014).
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Pizza and paint
If you think that human remains and dinosaur bones in near-Earth orbit are the height of fantasy, don’t jump to conclusions. In 2001, as part of an advertising campaign, Pizza Hut used a launch vehicle to deliver pizza to the Russian crew at the International Space Station (ISS). The cost of delivery, by the way, was almost a million dollars, and the whole world enjoyed a TV commercial in which astronauts ate pizza.
Staying in space dulls the taste buds, so the pizza was prepared with the addition of salt and spices, and regular salami was also used because regular pepperoni would have gone moldy by the time it arrived in orbit, experts say.
If you want, you can even order pizza to the ISS. Image: www.nasa.gov
In addition to the most expensive pizza delivery in human history, samples of the red paint used on Ferrari cars have been to space – a color called “Rosso Corsa” was sealed in glass and sent to the Red Planet with the ESA spacecraft “Mars Express”.
Which, in general, is not as surprising as Elon Musk launching a car into space.
As you can see, outer space can be used for more than just scientific research, because in recent decades an incredible number of different objects and devices have visited beyond the Earth. All this has become possible thanks to humanity's ongoing desire to explore and understand the Universe around us. Well, in the future, we will certainly have even more grandiose projects.