The Weirdest Things That Have Been Sent Into Space

Space travel has always been about pushing boundaries, from landing on the Moon to exploring distant planets. But while rockets usually carry satellites, astronauts, and scientific instruments, there have also been some downright bizarre payloads that have made the journey beyond Earth.

From lightsabers to cheeseburgers, and even human remains, let’s take a look at some of the strangest objects humanity has ever sent into space.

1. A Car (Yes, Really)

In 2018, Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched the Falcon Heavy rocket, and instead of a boring chunk of metal for a test payload, Musk decided to send his personal Tesla Roadster into space.

Strapped into the driver’s seat was a mannequin named Starman, wearing a real SpaceX spacesuit. The car’s sound system was playing David Bowie’s "Space Oddity" on loop (not that sound travels in space).

As of today, the Tesla is still out there, orbiting the Sun, possibly becoming the first car to eventually be claimed by an alien salvage crew.

2. A Lightsaber from Star Wars

In 2007, NASA sent a real Star Wars lightsaber prop into space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. This wasn’t just any lightsaber—it was Luke Skywalker’s original weapon from Return of the Jedi, sent to celebrate the film’s 30th anniversary.

The lightsaber spent two weeks aboard the International Space Station (ISS) before returning to Earth, proving once and for all that the Force is intergalactic.

3. A Cheeseburger (Launched on a Weather Balloon)

What happens when you strap a cheeseburger to a weather balloon and send it to the edge of space?

In 2012, a group of students in the UK did exactly that, launching a McDonald's cheeseburger 24 miles (39 km) into the stratosphere. They even attached a camera to watch its journey.

The burger eventually returned to Earth—though after that long in freezing temperatures and radiation, it probably wasn’t very appetizing.

4. Music from The Beatles and Beyond

Space isn’t silent when it comes to human-made music. Over the years, several famous songs have been sent into space, including:

• "Across the Universe" by The Beatles – Beamed into space by NASA in 2008 as a message of peace.
• "Space Oddity" by David Bowie – Famously performed by astronaut Chris Hadfield aboard the ISS in 2013.
• The Voyager Golden Record – In 1977, NASA sent two gold-plated records aboard the Voyager probes, containing sounds of Earth, music, and greetings in 55 languages. These records are still traveling through interstellar space, possibly waiting to be heard by aliens.

5. A Tardigrade Army (Microscopic Space Travelers)

Tardigrades, also known as "water bears," are tiny, nearly indestructible creatures that can survive extreme heat, cold, and even the vacuum of space.

In 2019, thousands of dehydrated tardigrades were sent to the Moon aboard the Israeli Beresheet lander. The mission crashed into the Moon, but scientists believe the tardigrades might still be alive, lying dormant and waiting for better conditions.

So, the next time humans land on the Moon, they might not be the first living creatures to have been there.

6. Human Remains (Yes, People’s Ashes Are in Space)

Several space missions have carried the ashes of famous individuals as their final resting place. Some notable space burials include:

• Gene Roddenberry (creator of Star Trek) – His ashes were sent into orbit in 1992.
• Clyde Tombaugh (discoverer of Pluto) – A small portion of his ashes were placed aboard NASA’s New Horizons probe, which flew past Pluto in 2015.
• James Doohan (Star Trek’s "Scotty") – His ashes were smuggled onto the ISS in 2008 by a private astronaut.

So, if you want to spend eternity among the stars, space burials are now a real possibility.

7. A Pizza Delivery to Space

In 2001, Pizza Hut became the first company to send a pizza into space. They paid $1 million to send a pepperoni pizza to Russian cosmonauts on the ISS.

Since ovens don’t work in microgravity, the pizza had to be pre-baked and vacuum-sealed, but the astronauts still enjoyed the treat—though they had to do without fresh tomatoes and cheese, which don’t store well in space.

8. A Garden Gnome (Launched Just for Fun)

In 2020, Rocket Lab sent a tiny garden gnome into space as part of a mission called "First Light." The gnome, named Gnome Chompski, was a tribute to the game Half-Life 2 and was released into orbit to burn up in Earth's atmosphere.

It was a purely symbolic mission, proving that sometimes, space travel can just be for fun.

9. LEGO Figures to Jupiter

NASA’s Juno spacecraft, which is currently studying Jupiter, carries three special passengers: tiny LEGO figurines of Galileo, Jupiter, and Juno.

These custom-made aluminum LEGO minifigures were sent as a collaboration between NASA and the LEGO Group to inspire kids about space exploration.

10. The First Advertisement in Space

In 1996, Pepsi paid $5 million to launch a giant inflatable Pepsi can into space aboard the Russian Mir space station.

While the stunt didn’t make much impact (since no one in space really needs soda), it remains one of the first commercial ads beyond Earth.

11. A Wheel of Cheese (Because… Why Not?)

Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 launched a wheel of cheese into orbit in 2010 as an inside joke. The mission was inspired by a Monty Python sketch, and the cheese was stored inside the rocket’s Dragon capsule.

When asked why, Musk simply replied, "Because we could."

Why Do We Keep Sending Weird Things into Space?

Space exploration is about science and discovery, but sometimes, it’s also about fun, creativity, and pushing limits. Whether it’s sending a car into orbit, music into the cosmos, or even tiny tardigrades to the Moon, these strange space missions show just how playful, curious, and adventurous humanity really is.

As technology advances, who knows what weird and wonderful things will be sent next? Maybe your name, your DNA, or even a message to aliens. After all, space is the ultimate blank canvas—and we’re just getting started. 🚀