Astronauts who smuggled things to space
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Astronauts Who Smuggled Things to Space — Daily trivia Thursday, April 2, 2026: questions and answers
All 10 questions with answers and explanations. Play this daily
Q 01Which astronaut smuggled a corned beef sandwich aboard Gemini 3?
- AGus Grissom
- BWally Schirra
- CGordon Cooper
- DJohn Young
Show answer
John Young
John Young hid it in his spacesuit pocket and shared it with Gus Grissom; a House Appropriations hearing followed, and NASA ruled out 'non-man-rated corned beef sandwiches'.
Q 02What instrument did Wally Schirra smuggle aboard Gemini 6A to play 'Jingle Bells' in orbit?
- AUkulele
- BFlute
- CKazoo
- DHarmonica
Show answer
Harmonica
Wally Schirra played 'Jingle Bells' on a tiny Hohner harmonica while Tom Stafford shook sleigh bells, instruments the Smithsonian calls the first ever played in space.
Q 03What did Scott Kelly find in an ISS delivery from his twin Mark, then wear to chase Tim Peake?
- AA superhero cape
- BA Santa Claus suit
- CA full gorilla suit
- DA clown costume
Show answer
A full gorilla suit
During his year-long mission on the ISS, Scott Kelly's twin brother Mark Kelly arranged for a full gorilla suit to be delivered via a resupply mission, which Scott wore to surprise his crewmates.
Q 04Which Apollo 14 astronaut hit golf shots on the lunar surface with a modified club head?
- AAlan Shepard
- BPete Conrad
- CStuart Roosa
- DGene Cernan
Show answer
Alan Shepard
Alan Shepard fitted a Wilson six-iron head to a lunar sample scoop handle and, forced by his stiff suit to swing one-handed, drove the second ball 'miles and miles and miles'.
Q 05Photos from which magazine did Apollo 12's backup crew slip into the moonwalkers' cuff checklists?
- ALife
- BPlayboy
- CEsquire
- DSports Illustrated
Show answer
Playboy
Playboy: backup commander Dave Scott hid centerfolds of four Playmates in Pete Conrad's and Alan Bean's checklists, and the public learned of it only when the magazine wrote about it in 1994.
Q 06What personal items did Buzz Aldrin discreetly take to the Moon on Apollo 11 for a religious ceremony?
- ACommunion bread and wine
- BA vial of water and a prayer book
- CA small cross and Bible
- DRosary beads and a medal
Show answer
Communion bread and wine
Buzz Aldrin, a Presbyterian elder, took communion privately with a kit from his pastor, so bread and wine became the first food and drink consumed on the Moon.
Q 07Which Apollo 14 astronaut claimed to have run private ESP experiments with friends on Earth during the flight?
- AJim Lovell
- BFred Haise
- CEdgar Mitchell
- DStuart Roosa
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Edgar Mitchell
Edgar Mitchell said he tested ESP with friends on Earth during the flight, published the results in the Journal of Parapsychology in 1971, and later founded the Institute of Noetic Sciences.
Q 08What unauthorised souvenirs did the Apollo 15 crew carry into space, in a scandal that ended their flying careers?
- AMission patches
- BStamped envelopes
- CSigned photographs
- DSmall flag pins
Show answer
Stamped envelopes
Stamped envelopes: the crew flew postal covers meant for sale as souvenirs, and once the deal came out, none of the three flew in space again.
Q 09What prank item did Wally Schirra find stashed behind an instrument panel on his 1962 Sigma 7 flight?
- AScotch and cigarettes
- BChewing tobacco and matches
- CInstant coffee and sugar cubes
- DPlaying cards and dice
Show answer
Scotch and cigarettes
Four Tareyton cigarettes and a nip of Cutty Sark; Schirra drank the Scotch aboard the recovery carrier USS Kearsarge, puzzling the medics who found alcohol in his post-flight blood tests.
Q 10What soup was really in the 'vodka' tubes Alexei Leonov offered the Americans on Apollo-Soyuz in 1975?
- AShchi
- BBorscht
- CSolyanka
- DOkroshka
Show answer
Borscht
Borscht: before launch Leonov swapped the labels on tubes of borscht and blackcurrant juice for Russian vodka labels, then offered them to Tom Stafford as a toast.
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