What Souvenirs NASA sends into space and why?

Among the Souvenirs sent by NASA into space was not only the flags and medals

We All know that the space mission is something very serious, and room for sentimentality there. However, even in space there is a place for Souvenirs. It sends them into orbit almost every mission. Today let's talk about the most interesting and unusual of them. And also, we can show you where to see the full list of what the Agency sent into orbit. Just say that sometimes this was done for fun, sometimes to raise the ”fighting spirit”, and sometimes for research purposes.

It is Difficult to say, where are the roots of this tradition, but Souvenirs really go almost with every launch. Special popularity it had when sent into space by the American shuttles that are now not fly, the last one was Atlantis, launched in 2011.

On each Board almost always had several hundred US flags, a few dozen flags of individual States, as well as patches, badges and figurines of famous characters. For example, a silver badge with the picture of Snoopy in a spacesuit.

Been in orbit and more unusual things. A full list of them can be . In this article we give a few examples of what the astronauts were taken into space, not only on the shuttles.

Coins have been in space

Perhaps if the coins that have been in space wanted to sell, they would do the most expensive. Here only to do that nobody wanted. And how would he have proved that these coins were so far from Earth?

Why you may need coins to the astronauts if in space, all for free? Even if you want to drink coffee, it is easier to communicate with the command post and request a delivery, than to find a coffee machine.

The Astronaut who went into orbit with a pocket full of change was Gus Grissom in July 1961. He was the second American had been in space, but his suborbital flight lasted only 15 minutes, ending by falling into the Atlantic ocean.

While he waited , which needs to pick it up, the hatch opened and began to flow water. He was able to leave the ”sinking ship”, but it left a few old coins which he wanted to hand out after the flight. However, in his pocket he left two bags full of coins, a few dollar bills and a couple of models of the Liberty Bell 7. At least they bothered to stay afloat, a quick arrival of the helicopter helped to rescue them.

the Coin is lain on the ocean floor about 40 years inside the lander capsule

After nearly 40 years, in 1999, the capsule was pulled from a depth of 5,000 meters and found in it the same coin the thirties and forties. There were 52 pieces. For so long in salt water, they lost their appearance, but become more valuable find with a rich history.

the First man in interstellar space

At this stage of technology development, people could not fly into space beyond the moon. Yes, there is a program to send humans to Mars, but it's projects. Despite this, there is one person who has all chances to be the first who will go beyond the solar system. However, it is not full of people, and his ashes.

That ”lucky” was Clyde William Tombaugh — the astronomer who discovered . It was his ashes in 2006, that is, to the centenary of his birth, was sent into space.

Talented astronomer a self-taught Clyde tombo

The Capsule was placed inside the automatic station ”New horizons”, sent to explore Pluto followed beyond the Solar system. The launch was carried out with the help of the carrier rocket Atlas-5 January 19, 2006. In this case, first the unit had the greatest speed of all these vehicles (16,26 km/s relative to the Ground and 45 km/s heliocentric). This speed allowed him even without a gravity assist near Jupiter observed by Voyager 1 to leave the Solar system. However, from 2015, its speed fell to 14 km/s. For comparison, Voyager 1, she is 17 km/s.

In addition to the ashes of astronomer on Board is a CD with 434 738 names of the people involved in the promotion of NASA “Send your name to Pluto”, two coins, two U.S. flag, a fragment of the first manned private spacecraft SpaceShipOne, a CD with photos of the device and its developers, as well as postage stamp USA 1990 ”Pluto: Not Yet Explored”.

Auto ship New horizons

Snoopy in space

One of the cartoon characters that have been in space, was Snoopy. There are many theories that explain why this character went into space not just once, but the precise justification was not found. Many indirect shall not give, but it is Snoopy, a silver icon several times, flew into orbit. Many fans of unusual Souvenirs to hunt for him around the world, but to get him not so easy.

Famous Snoopy — a frequent guest space missions

Let me Remind you that Snoopy is a fictionaldog Beagle (by the way, is the one version that assumes that the dog Snoopy is a tribute to the first dog in space). He first appeared in the comic series Peanuts 4 Oct 1950, and was created by artist Charles M. Schultz. In Russia, comic strips Snoopy was published in the children's weekly ”Cool magazine”.

Toys in space

Despite the fact that Snoopy is a frequent visitor in space, is there a place and other characters. Astronauts often take a space toy. For some it is an opportunity to bring something from home to a long separation from the children, but more often it is done for experiments.

For example, during takeoff of the ship, hanging on the toy bar at first, just hanging on the rope. But as soon as the gravity weakens, it begins to fly. This is the crew familiar that they come to a certain height. — is good, but the rendering of the laws of physics just do not give a failure.

buzz Lightyear — toy, who was in space most time.

The Record for orbit is buzz Lightyear. If you remember, this is the astronaut from the cartoon «toy Story» Pixar. Its 30-centimeter copy held in orbit 458 days and returned to Earth on 11 September 2009.

Sword of the Jedi

I Admit I was never an ardent fan of Star wars, but treat them with respect and understand the desire to send into orbit is useless from a practical sense, but very symbolic subject. We are talking about the sword of the Jedi.

This package was sent to the ISS along with the Shuttle discovery in October 2007. She was sent at the personal request of George Lucas. The lightsaber of the Jedi was packaged in a Styrofoam container in which he spent the whole flight. It was timed to the 30th anniversary of the release of the film ” a new hope”.

lightsaber from «Star wars» just had to visit space

In that flight, there was still a lot of interesting items. For example, a mission specialist Doug Wheeler, with childhood friends Bobby Mercer, and who then was diagnosed with a brain tumor, took the baseball cards of the team of Mercer, to then transfer them to Mercer as a gift.

the Most unusual cheese

When in 2010, sent its first ship into space on Board was very unusual subject. At the same time, he was under the cover, with the inscription ”top secret” and the image of a cow in galoshes.

Someone took it very seriously and believed that there really is a hidden something special, but those who were in the subject, I realized that this is a reference to the Comedy “top secret” 1994 of release. Before launch, Musk said that everyone will be pleasantly surprised when they learn that there is.

a Piece of space cheese from Elon musk

When the ship after two orbits around the Earth, landed, found out, what is under the hood. It turned out that Elon personally went shopping in Beverly hills and looking for where to buy the biggest piece of cheese Gruyere. Imagine how the sellers were interested, for which it needs cheese to offer the most suitable option for a particular drink, and he replied that it is necessary for space flight. Jokes jokes, but the story is funny. Now only was it really?

what is the name of the mole from the Czech cartoon?

I'm Sure many know the famous mole from the Czech cartoon. In the Czech Republic it is still popular not only as a souvenir, but also as an educational character. By the way, his name is Krtek — very Czech name.

Famous Krtek from Czech cartoons

«my wife's Mother — a Czech, and therefore we have strong ties with the Czech Republic», — said the expert mission drew Postel who went to the ISS as part of expedition 134 NASA on the Shuttle Endeavour. — «They actually build an entire scientific and educational programme around this character, and we hope to be able to return to visit the country, having made a tour Certicom and try to attract schools to participate in mathematics, science and technology.”

The Mole looks pretty simple, but now it is not as simple as it seems. Not all cartoon characters have managed to go to orbit and back.

Museum in space

It's hard To believe, but in space even visited items of historical value. For example, a wooden ball with the craft of the 16th century ”Mary rose”. The symbolism of the story was to allow the exhibit to swim in the vast ocean of outer space.

«Mary rose» was one of the first purpose-built warships and was raised from the seabed in 1982. Under water, he spent more than 400 years. Ball, called «barrel», was part of the mechanism used to raise sails on the masts.

a Part of this beautiful vehicle sent in the space for the new «navigation»

This vehicle has a deep connection to NASA than it seems at first glance. The fact that the astronaut Michael Foale, who committed six space flights, working volunteer diver on the excavation of the ship in 1981. I mean, he actually turned out to be one of those who ensured his rise from the sea.

Another Museum piece that had been in space, was a five-star insignia worn by General Henry «hap» Arnold, the onlyfive-star General of the U.S. army and founder of the U.S. air force as a separate kind of troops. The emblem belongs to the National Museum of the U.S. air force in Dayton, Ohio.

astronauts can take into space?

Despite the fact that every gram of cargo delivered to orbit literally worth its weight in gold, anyway, all know that astronauts are people too and they have personal things to feel good and calm. In the end, this also depends on the success of the mission. That is why they are allowed to bring something from the Earth. Moreover, they can order the package with another ship, which will fly to the ISS. Typically, this cargo is limited to weighing one kilogram for each member of the expedition. But there are exceptions.

What you have to do is order something commercial. In this package you can refuse. But if the astronaut wants to bring something then hand out as Souvenirs to your friends or leave a memory about the flight, no one will object.

There are goods that are sent without the knowledge of the members of the expedition, or at least not include them to normal weight ”baggage”. It can be something cultural or educational reasons. Some character events, like the torch during the Olympic games in Sochi, and the like.

Why you need Souvenirs in space?

It Souvenirs space, of which we are speaking, rarely carry any practical meaning. Usually it's something more personally than is really necessary. Nothing wrong with that, because technicians will be pleased to get a coin, which prepared their ship was in space. Examples are many, but they all allow humanity to further integrate into something unknown and yet mystical. In the end, space flight has not yet become a routine matter. Each run still event and gifts are another way to make it more special.