19 Random Objects That Humans Have Actually Launched Into Space

Why did a chicken burger go to space before me?

1. KFC Zinger Burger

KFC / Via Facebook: KFC

In a unique marketing move, KFC recently partnered with World View Enterprises on a mission known as "Zinger 1", and sent the first ever chicken sandwich into space. Guess you could say KFC burgers are... out of this world.

2. A drawing of a penis by Andy Warhol

MoMA / Gift of Ruth Waldhauer / Via moma.org

In 1969 (nice), the first piece of art went to the moon. It was done by multiple artists on a small ceramic tile, including this piece by Andy Warhol, circled in red. The art can be interpreted as perhaps his initials, or a spaceship, but the most common opinion is that it's a drawing of a penis. Seriously, what spaceship looks like that?

3. Craigslist

Craigslist

In March 2005, over 100,000 postings from Craigslist were transmitted into space. Deep Space Communications was the company responsible for the transmission that included a date, time, and even location stamp of "Earth". Personally, we're really glad that Earth's reputation is based on the selling of used furniture and haunted dolls.

4. A corned beef sandwich

Grissom Memorial Museum / Via thevintagenews.com

John Young, a crew member on NASA's first two-man space mission, brought on board a corned beef sandwich without realising it was contraband. As hilarious as this is, it's extremely dangerous. Had any crumbs gotten amongst the technical equipment, Young would have been responsible for "beefing" the whole mission. As far as authorities are aware, no more corned beef sandwiches have entered space. Young's, however, is currently preserved and available for viewing at Grissom Memorial Museum.

5. Sea urchin sperm

Xavier Leoty / AFP / Getty Images

Do you ever wonder about what happens to sperm in space? Because apparently NASA has. These absolute loose units decided to send some sperm into space, specifically that of the sea urchin. Apparently they swim faster, but also fall apart, which takes space impregnation off the table for now. Don't worry though, scientists have been working hard on a solution ever since.

6. A Pizza Hut pizza

AP / Via youtube.com

In 2001, the International Space Stations received a present: a six inch salami pizza (apparently pepperoni won't survive the trip into space). This made Pizza Hut the first company to have pizza delivered to and eaten in space. I wonder what the delivery charge on the order was...

7. A Doritos advertisement

Doritos / Via youtube.com

In 2008, Doritos asked fans to make a 30-second ad that they could transmit into a solar system in the Ursa Major constellation. This was the winner, so we can add "They probably have sentient corn chips" to the list of things aliens know about us.

8. Salmonella

NASA / Via nasa.gov

"Why don't we send salmonella into space?" is the perfect opening line for a horror movie about a world-destroying virus. It's also something that a NASA employee decided was actually a good idea. What they discovered is that salmonella gets three to seven times more dangerous in space. NASA says they're using the information to "help combat microbial infections in space", but when a deadly strain of salmonella starts wreaking havoc, don't say we didn't warn you.

9. A tandoori lamb chop

Nikesh Shukla / Via youtube.com

In 2014, Nikesh Shukla sent a weather balloon armed with a lamb chop and a GoPro into the stratosphere to promote his book Meatspace. They lost contact with the chop almost immediately, and a month later the craft and camera were found by a farmer. He decided to inform the crew, and then not hand it over. The man/lamb hunt lasted four months, even with police involvement. Thankfully, the footage was found, and you can enjoy it here.

10. Unkillable water bears

Flickr: Bob Goldstein / Creative Commons / Via Flickr: 11562437@N03

Water bears, also known as tardigrages, may look cute, but their space ventures prove how terrfying they are. Before going to space, they were already proven to be able to withstand extreme temperatures, pressures, and even radiation. Since making their cosmic voyage, it's now known that they can do all of that, and survive an extended period of time in the vacuum of outer space. Tardigrades must have the dopest resumes.

11. A saxophone

NASA / Via space.com

We're 90% certain this only happened so that news outlets could write headlines like "Sax in Space" and giggle about it. The saxophone was the first instrument to be played in space, and was recently sent up again as a present for Thomas Pesquet, who was stationed on the International Space Station.

12. Spiders

NASA / Via nasa.gov

Actually, we're fine with this one. As long as they're in space and not anywhere near us. Spiders have had their fair share of time in space, including in 2011 when two golden orb spiders went up so that NASA could observe how they adapted to zero gravity environments. You can watch a videos of the spiders here, in case having to live with them on Earth wasn't enough already.

13. Human remains

The Shuttle Enterprise - GPN-2000-001363.jpg / Via commons.wikimedia.org

There are a surprising amount of human remains in space, and TBH it doesn't seem like a bad way to go. Notable names include Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek, and James Doohan who played Scotty on the original version of the show. The practice of having your remains sent into space is becoming more common, with companies now offering the experience to anyone for the right price.

14. Dinosaurs

Flicker: Tim Evanson / Creative Commons / Via Flickr: timevanson

Dinosaurs already had the wicked experience of being dinosaurs, it seems a little greedy to let them go into space too. They've been up twice, once in 1985 and again in 1998. Technically, it was just their bones, but they already got to be inside a dinosaur. That's pretty much #lifegoals.

15. A top-secret block of cheese

Chris Thompson/SpaceX / Via businessinsider.com.au

In 2010, a SpaceX capsule took off with a "top secret" payload inside. Spoiler alert: It was a wheel of cheese. The cheese was meant as a nod to a Monty Python sketch about a cheese shop that didn't have any cheese.

16. Buzz Lightyear

NASA / Via nasa.gov

We know what you're thinking. "Of course Buzz Lightyear has been into space, he's an astronaut!" And you're right. The official NASA statement says he was in orbit for 450 days and, along with Disney and Pixar, helped create a series of educational games. What a great guy.

17. A lightsaber

Lucasfilm / Via nasa.gov

It seems a little weird to send something that obviously came from space, back up there. But Luke Skywalker's lightsaber was sent into orbit in 2007. It was to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the first Star Wars film.

18. Playboy magazine

Ulli Lotzmann / Via hq.nasa.gov

Do you know how hard it is to google "playboy in space" and find a safe result? Probably as hard as the astronaut who found the magazine up there in the first place was. We say "found" because the photos were snuck in by backup crew members, who hid them between the pages of checklists that the astronauts had attached to their suits.

19. Robots

NASA / Via nasa.gov

This one seems obvious, but honestly it just feels kind of rude. NASA made a humanoid robot to send into space instead of sending us. All we're doing is making these robots smarter, which will only make their inevitable world conquest easier. Not only that, this bloody robot won an award for invention of the year. Maybe save some for the rest of us, mate.