10 Weird Things Humans Have Sent Into the Stratosphere

Since October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1 into orbit, people have been sending up all sorts of things into outer space. Laika, the Soviet space dog, went into orbit a month later on Sputnik 2. Unfortunately, she didn’t survive the trip. Monkeys, chimpanzees, some more dogs and even a few cats all made the journey, with some animals faring better than others. The first humans traveled into space in 1961, and it didn’t take long before things started to get a little strange. In 1965, astronaut John Young smuggled a corned beef sandwich aboard Gemini III. A few years later, when Apollo 12 was headed to the moon, the backup crew hid pictures of Playboy Playmates in the astronauts’ lunar checklist. On a more sentimental note, astronaut Shannon Walker brought along Amelia Earhart’s watch when she boarded the International Space Station in 2010. The watch, which Earhart wore on two trans-Atlantic flights, still works. Other items that have traveled into space include Luke Skywalker’s Lightsaber from Star Wars and a Buzz Lightyear action figure that spent more than a year floating around the International Space Station.  continue