Watch As A NASA Astronaut Sneaks A Gorilla Suit To Space And Hilariously Pranks ISS Crewmate
Imagine being 254 miles above Earth aboard the International Space Station and minding your own business when, all of a sudden, a gorilla emerges from a soft storage container and gives chase in zero gravity. Okay, there is some gravity inside the ISS, but let's not overlook the fact that a NASA astronaut hilariously donned a gorilla costume to prank his crewmates. While in space.
This actually happened several years ago, but is garnering newfound attention thanks to a recent post on Reddit. Like many others, I somehow managed to miss this when it happened and in the almost six years since, until now. And I'm delighted to finally be privy of the monkey business that took place on the ISS back in February 2016.
Check it out...
Needed a little humor to lighten up a #YearInSpace. Go big, or go home. I think I'll do both. #SpaceApehttps://t.co/Ift8VdDR4C
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) February 23, 2016
According to the Reddit post, astronaut Mark Kelly smuggled the gorilla suit to the ISS without telling anyone, put it on, and comedy ensued. Turns out that's not wholly accurate (close, though). It was Mark's identical twin brother, Scott, who wore the suit.
Looking back at various articles from 2016, Scott was nearing the end of a yearlong stint at the ISS. His brother Mark had managed to convince NASA to let him send a care package to Scott, which contained the gorilla costume.
At the time, Mark also posted the video to Twitter, with the Benny HIll theme song "Yakety Sax" playing in the background. Check it out...
Folks, I'm pretty sure that's an #ApeInSpace aboard the @Space_Station. pic.twitter.com/0ht6ilXhxK
— Captain Mark Kelly (@CaptMarkKelly) February 22, 2016
It may have been a costly prank with estimates at the time suggesting it had cost around $10,000 for every pound of cargo sent into space. That would have put gorilla costume at over $50,000, if true. Worth it, in my opinion. And it got more use than just a prank. Here's Scott wearing the costume to demonstrate what crying in space is like.
The gorilla suit certainly wasn't need for this kind of demonstration, but who knows, perhaps it helped attract interest from an audience that might not have otherwise had any interest in space or the ISS. Either way, my hat's off to the Kelly brothers.
