From Einstein Doll To Snoopy The Beagle: Here's Why Astronauts Take Toys To Space

Astronauts have a history of bringing small toys to space with them which, in contrast to their childish appearance, actually play an important role.

These toys act as zero-g indicators. This means they let the astronauts know when they have reached weightlessness or zero gravity after launch.

Some toys that have been flown to space include a plush Earth globe, a sequined dinosaur, a toy Grogu from "Star Wars", a baby penguin, a couple of turtles, a stuffed dog, and a monkey.

The most recent one to go to space is a plush Einstein doll, with the characteristic disheveled white hair. The 11-inch-tall doll was dressed in a gray sweater and black pants. The toy was onboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft "Endurance".

Albert Einstein's doll being used as a zero-g indicator makes life come full circle. After all, Einstein is credited with coming up with the notion that a person in free fall could not feel his weight. He reportedly said it was one of the "happiest thoughts" he had in 1907.

"While he was sitting [at his job] in the patent office because he wasn't famous yet — [though he] definitely should have been — Einstein had what he said was one of his happiest thoughts of his entire life ... that a person in free fall could not feel his own weight," Crew-5 pilot Josh Cassada, a NASA astronaut, U.S. Navy captain and physicist, radioed back to SpaceX's mission control in Hawthorne, California.

The custom of bringing zero-g toys was started by soviet-era cosmonauts and it stuck around.

"We're experiencing Einstein's happiest thought continuously, as the International Space Station has been doing for over 20 years," Cassada said. "On Crew-5, we call this little guy our 'free-fall indicator.' We're here to tell you that there's plenty of gravity up here. In fact, that is what keeping us in orbit right now and preventing this trip on Crew Dragon from being a one-way trip."

Next in line to join the league of plush toys is a veteran -- Snoopy the beagle. Snoopy first traveled to space in 1990 onboard Columbia's STS-32 mission.

This time, Snoopy will go on a lonely journey into space. It is scheduled to fly to the moon with NASA's Orion spacecraft on the Artemis I mission. The unmanned journey will carry the only 'stowaway' to space. Fitted with cameras, the spacecraft will allow astronauts to live vicariously through Snoopy.

Snoopy is dressed for the occasion. The cartoon plush will wear a tiny spacesuit replica. Interestingly, the material of the replica will be the same as that of suits worn by NASA astronauts.

Artemis 1, scheduled to launch in September, will now take off in November due to some initial delays and Hurricane Ian.