7 Things Astronauts Have Snuck Into Space

Astronauts have found ways to sneak items into space over the past 50 years. Here are some examples.

Dirt from a Pitcher’s Mound

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New York Yankees fan Garrett Reisman took dirt from the pitcher’s mound at Yankee Stadium during his voyage to the ISS in 2008.

A Corned-Beef Sandwich

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Unimpressed with the flavorless dehydrated food NASA provided its astronauts, John Young smuggled a corned-beef sandwich aboard Gemini 3 in 1965. Young graciously shared the snack with crewmate Gus Grissom.

Dinosaur Bones

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Bits of bone and eggshell from the duck-billed dinosaur Maiasaura peeblesorum were brought aboard Skylab 2 in 1985.

Amelia Earhart’s Wristwatch

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During her trip to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2010, Shannon Walker carried the wristwatch legendary pilot Amelia Earhart wore during two historic trans-Atlantic flights.

A Family Portrait

In 1972, Charles Duke placed his family portrait among the lunar rocks during his Apollo 16 moonwalk.

A Piece of the Wright Brothers’ Plane

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A devout Catholic, Buzz Aldrin carried a small piece of communion bread and a vial of wine aboard Apollo 11 so he could take communion on the moon’s surface. That lunar mission also carried a small piece of wood from the Wright brothers’ original plane.

Buzz Lightyear

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In 2008, the crew of shuttle mission STS-124, bound for the ISS, took a Buzz Lightyear action figure, the Super Bowl backup jersey of New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and Houston Astros slugger Craig Biggio’s last game jersey.

– Don Vaughan

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