Snoopy Safety Mascot for NASA
In 1968, NASA introduced Snoopy the Astrobeagle as their mascot for safety. The creator Peanuts comic, Charles Schulz gave NASA the permission to use Snoopy as their safety mascot.
From then on, NASA astronauts have worn a silver Snoopy pin while going into space. On return, they present the pin to employees and contractors who helped them stay safe.
Tom & Jerry – NASA’s Satellites
Two of NASA’s satellites are chasing each other in an orbit around the Earth. The project is a US-German collaboration and called Tom & Jerry. It is a part of NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE).
NASA uses the two satellites to measure the changes in Earth’s gravity by observing the change in the distance between the two satellites.
Greener than yesterday
In October 2019, NASA declared that Earth was greener than it was 20 years ago. The same was attributed to China and India’s rigorous re-plantation drives.
Trespassing on Mars
NASA was once sued by three men from Yemen for trespassing on Mars. As per them, they had inherited Mars from their ancestors.
The first chimp to space
Ham was a chimp and the first hominid sent to space by NASA. It was trained by NASA to operate his capsule. He received treats if he pulled the right levers and an electric shock if he didn’t.
During the flight, the system malfunctioned causing Ham to get an electric shock for every lever he pulled. He survived the 16 minute flight and lived the next 20 years of his life in North Carolina Zoo.
Mighty pen that works in space
NASA attempted making a pen that could write in zero gravity. Seeing the large amount of money-spend on developing it, NASA stopped, while the Russians used a pencil in space.
This was when Mr Fisher of Fisher Pens successfully developed a pen that could function in zero gravity. This pen was finally used by NASA astronauts to write in space.
Mars simulation on Earth
NASA has a team of scientists living in a Mars simulation for almost a year. The scientists live inside a 11 meter dome near a volcano in Hawaii and only come out of the dome in spacesuits.
Moon landing was real
There’s no way NASA could have faked moon landing in 1969. Because as per a film expert, there’s no way NASA had the technology to film a fake landing.
But original footage is lost
It is a fact that NASA no longer has the original moon landing footage because they accidentally reused the tape.
Last-minute space hacks
Right before launching the Voyager aircraft to Jupiter, NASA wrapped the critical parts in kitchen-grade aluminium foil to protect them from radiation from Jupiter. The last moment wrapping turned out to be successful.
And the best job in the world is…
There is a job in NASA to smell things. George Aldrich is one such employee of NASA who makes sure there are no funny smells on space shuttles or space stations.
Massive assembly room
The vehicle assembly room of NASA is so massive that rain-causing clouds can form inside it.