Eight Odd Objects Left in Space

Buzz Lightyear action figure

In 2008, a Buzz Lightyear toy from Toy Story was left aboard the International Space Station by astronauts as both an indicator of zero gravity and an entertainment item.

Human ashes

Launching human ashes into space as a memorial to their life is a beautiful way to celebrate human ingenuity. The first person to have their ashes sent into space was Star Trek creator Gene Rodenberry

Tesla Roadster

To showcase the weight carrying capacity of the companys new Falcon Heavy rockets, Musk launched a Tesla Roadster into an elliptical heliocentric orbit in 2018. The car was previously used by Musk

A gorilla suit

In 2008, astronauts left a gorilla suit aboard the International Space Station as part of a joke. The suit was put on a payload by engineers before launch without the knowledge of the crew.

Luke Skywalker action figure

In 2007, the crew of the space shuttle Discovery left a Luke Skywalker action figure aboard the ISS as a joke/tribute. It floated there for several years.

Yoda puppet

Left aboard the International Space Station by SpaceX crew in 2020 as a Star Wars tribute.

A football

In 2006, during a spacewalk, astronaut Marcos Pontes brought a football from the World Cup into space. He tossed it back and forth with another astronaut, before punting it off into orbit.

Rubik's Cube

Carried to space multiple times to show how objects move in microgravity.