It ’s April Fool ’s Day , which signify you ’re likely about to be sparkle bomb or jump - scared by the most life-threatening people in the world – those you love and trust the most . Do n’t even suppose of trying to get off - humankind to escape their mischief , however : Astronauts are n’t exactly averse to root for off clowning themselves .
Here ’s a choice of silliness play out aboard the International Space Station ( ISS ) and elsewhere in our planetary neighborhood . You could say – as people have said multitudinous prison term in the past – these pranks are out of this world , quite literally . ( Sorry . )
1 – Unauthorized Spacewalk
Back on April Fool ’s Day 2010 , three cosmonaut aboard the ISS sent a shot of themselves , sans spacesuit , outside the Cupola to Mission Control . Despite the horrific want of oxygen , heat , and anything resembling habitability out there , the expressions on their faces suggest that they ’re pretty chilled about it .
The trio of pranksters – NASA ’s Timothy Creamer , Japan ’s Soichi Noguchi , and cosmonaut Oleg Kotov – rose a few giggle from the folks back home , agree toSpace.com . Their “ spacewalk ” certainly had the opposite impression to one that took place this very twelvemonth , when a phonograph recording - localize prolonged speculation on the ISS ’s exterior culminated with a critical communication antenna being put in thewrong place .
2 – Packaged Astronaut
Back in 2017 , NASA astronautPeggy Whitson , up aboard the ISS , decide that she wanted to give her Russian crewmates a chip of a panic . There are n’t many piazza to cover up there in such a confined infinite , so she enlisted the help of fellow astronauts Shane Kimbrough ( NASA ) and Thomas Pesquet ( ESA ) to wad her into a cargo bagful .
Thrown into their module , the spaceman were distinctly reasonably surprised when an American spaceman burst onward , like a Jack - in - the - Box in microgravity . Although not particularly scarey at the goal of the day , it was tremendously endearing .
3 – Space Gorilla
NASA spaceman Scott Kelly ’s identical twin – yes , they’restill identicaltwins – Mark , plat what is arguably the most coordinated , long - length prank in history . Sending up a Gorilla gorilla suit on a resupply flight to his ISS - establish brother , Scott quickly put on it and concealed himself in another one of those soft - sided storage container .
As ESA astronautTim Peakewas strapping it down , the space gorilla emerged and – as is document by some glorious officialNASA video – pursues his British spacefarer around the ISS . Some commentators at the metre wonder if this was the practiced use of time and money for the august distance delegacy , but we ’d suggest that such a pocket-size merry episode was well worth it for its inherent ludicrousness .
4 – The Ghostly Woman
Back on September 10 , 1973 , astronauts aboard the now defunct Skylab began to hear awoman ’s voiceplaying over the intercom . Those down in Houston heard it too and , for a moment , everyone was slightly startled . There were only manly astronauts aboard Skylab at the time , so where was the interpreter – talk of cookery meals and watching timber fires from up above – come from ?
It turns out that cosmonaut Owen Garriott had record his married woman during a anterior receiving set jaw the eventide before , and need her to read out somepre - prepared statement , emphasise with pauses to allow for a response from Houston to come through .
Played aloud , this had the effect of appear that a female astronaut had snuck aboard and was engaging in a by all odds surprising , unorthodox conversation .
When face with a perfectly apprehensible “ who are you ” from Mission Control , the disembodied voice did in fact respond by accurately identifying herself as Helen Garriott , which brought up more dubiousness than it resolve until the trueness was revealed .
" Well , I see the boy are floating in my direction . I ’ve pay back to get off the pipeline , ” Helen say , sign up off at the end of the infection . “ I ’m not supposed to be talking to you . ”
5 – Pizza Delivery
concur with April Fool ’s sidereal day 2013 , NASA astronaut Ron Garan , along with fellow marauders of microgravity Mike Fossum and Satoshi Furukawa , phone a pizza plaza back in Houston – one that boasts that it can deliver a pizza pie anywhere in the expanse in 30 minutes or fewer – from the ISS , and challenged them to equal their words with ( some considerably unorthodox ) activity .
Disappointingly though , according toMashable , the call was fabricate and no pizza was actually ordinate . Hopefully , this ’ll encourage those currently aboard the ISS properly now to do this prank decent on this year ’s day of jovial daftness .
6 – Corned Beef Pioneer
Smuggling stuff into space is n’t loose , and it ’s not advise for a variety of technological , health , and safety event , but that did n’t stop NASA cosmonaut John Young from shoot down the prescript . On March 23 , 1963 , as he was about to be launched on Gemini III , the first crew flight in the program , he dead made a rather madcap Apocalypse to his crewmate Gus Grissom .
Thetranscriptof the conversation speaks for itself .
Grissom : What is it ?
vernal : Corn beef sandwich .
Grissom : Where did that come from ?
Young : I brought it with me . Let ’s see how it tastes . Smells , does n’t it ?
Grissom : Yes , it ’s wear up . I ’m going to stick it in my pocket .
Young : Is it ?
untried : It was a thought , anyways .
Grissom : Yep .
Young : Not a very near one .
Grissom : Pretty good , though , if it would just hold together .
Young : require some wimp leg ?
Grissom : No , you may handle that .
The first corn beef sandwich to make it to space . What a time to be alert .
7 – Neil Armstrong ’s Alien Surprise
During the historic , era - defining firstmoon landingback in July 1969 , Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were ricochet around the well low - gravity Sun Myung Moon , relay their discoveries back to the billions watching their antics back on Earth . During one of the menstruation in which their communications were interrupt , though , Armstrong decided to act a prank on Aldrin .
put on a charge plate Halloween alien masque inside his lawsuit , he snuck up on his fellow lunar lodger and leapt at him , cry as he did . Aldrin was so taken aback that he tripped and fell over , and a good meter was had by all .
Okay , that one was a Trygve Lie , but hey – it is April Fool ’s solar day .
