A Hilarious Prank by an Astronaut on the International Space Station
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Chapter 1: The Prankster Astronaut
Being in space for an extended period can lead to monotony. To inject some fun into the routine, Mark Kelly decided to surprise his twin brother, Scott, who was on a year-long mission at the International Space Station (ISS).
During a phone conversation, Mark exclaimed, “I’m sending you a gorilla suit! There’s never been a gorilla in space before!” This sparked a mischievous plan between the two brothers to prank their fellow astronauts.
In a humorous video, Scott donned the gorilla costume and jumped out from a large white bag, chasing British astronaut Tim Peake as he attempted to escape in the zero-gravity environment. Reflecting on this lighthearted moment, Scott remarked, “It was the end of my year in space; a little humor was necessary.”
Section 1.1: The Gorilla Suit Surprise
In an interview, Scott shared how he cleverly used the gorilla outfit to scare another astronaut. “When he opened the door, I popped out, and I worried I might have given him a heart attack or something!”
Subsection 1.1.1: How a Gorilla Suit Made it to Space
Here’s an interesting tidbit: astronauts can bring personal items to the ISS, provided they stay within a specific weight limit. This allowed Scott Kelly to include the gorilla suit in his luggage. The Soyuz and SpaceX Crew Dragon missions permit each astronaut to carry about 3.3 pounds (1.5 kg) of personal belongings.
For instance, astronauts often bring musical instruments for entertainment. In 2017, the crew collaborated to send an alto saxophone to the ISS as a surprise for astronaut Thomas Pesquet on his birthday, and he was delighted!
Section 1.2: The Creative Use of Personal Items
Another popular choice for personal items is photography equipment. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, for instance, captured thousands of images during his missions. In a BBC interview, he explained:
“I’ve traveled to space three times — once to the Russian space station MIR and twice to the ISS. Across those journeys, I took approximately 45,000 photos. There’s little time to review them while in orbit; you just take a lot, send them back to Earth, and they remain in storage. It was wonderful to return to Earth and sift through them, selecting about 150 for my book that showcase our planet beautifully.”
Chapter 2: The Cosmic Humor Continues
Join the ISS crew as they engage in a lively discussion with Neil deGrasse Tyson on StarTalk Radio, exploring space and humor.