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
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Q 01Which astronaut smuggled a corned beef sandwich aboard Gemini 3 in 1965?
- AGus Grissom
- BWally Schirra
- CAlan Shepard
- DJohn Young
Show answer
John Young
The sandwich rode up in a spacesuit pocket and was shared with Grissom during a food test; the House Committee on Appropriations held a hearing, and NASA warned that 'non-man-rated corned beef sandwiches' were out for future flights.
Q 02What instrument did Wally Schirra smuggle aboard Gemini 6A in 1965 to play 'Jingle Bells' in orbit?
- AUkulele
- BFlute
- CKazoo
- DHarmonica
Show answer
Harmonica
Wally Schirra brought a harmonica and small sleigh bells on Gemini 6A. He and Tom Stafford played 'Jingle Bells,' marking the first time musical instruments were played in space.
Q 03What did Scott Kelly find in a 2016 ISS package 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
- BEdgar Mitchell
- CStuart Roosa
- DGene Cernan
Show answer
Alan Shepard
The club was a Wilson six-iron head fitted to a lunar sample scoop handle; the stiff suit forced a one-handed swing, and the second ball went, as he joked, 'miles and miles and miles'.
Q 05On which Apollo mission did moonwalkers find Playboy centerfolds slipped into their cuff checklists?
- A8
- B12
- C11
- D13
Show answer
12
The backup crew of Dave Scott, Jim Irwin and Al Worden slipped photos of Playmates Cynthia Myers, Angela Dorian, Reagan Wilson and Leslie Bianchini into the cuff checklists Conrad and Bean wore on the Moon; the prank went public 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, an elder in his Presbyterian church, took communion bread and wine to the Moon on Apollo 11, privately observing the sacrament shortly after landing. NASA chose not to broadcast the event due to prior controversy.
Q 07Which Apollo 14 astronaut claimed to have run private ESP experiments with friends on Earth during the flight?
- AAlan Shepard
- BFred Haise
- CEdgar Mitchell
- DStuart Roosa
Show answer
Edgar Mitchell
On the way home he also had what he described as a savikalpa samadhi experience, and later tried to secure CIA funding for remote-viewing research.
Q 08Besides a sandwich, what unauthorised souvenirs did ground crew stash behind Gemini 3's instrument panels?
- ACommemorative stamps
- BSigned currency
- CSmall flag pins
- DPersonal photographs
Show answer
Signed currency
Launch supervisors gathered $1 and $2 bills as souvenirs for pad personnel, wrapped them in insulation and stuffed them behind the right-hand instrument panel with the commander's quiet approval; the pilot was not told.
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
Leonov had swapped the labels on tubes of borsch and blackcurrant juice before launch, giving Tom Stafford quite a shock; he also presented sketches he had drawn of the American crew during training.
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