Could that UFO in the sky actually be a Tesla Roadster? While space exploration is still in its infancy, humanity has already shot a surprising number of weird things into the stars. A Tesla Roadster was launched into space in 2018 and was the payload for the first SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. The original intent was to put it into orbit around Mars, but the Roadster missed its mark and is now orbiting around the sun.
Humans certainly aren't the only living creatures to head into the heavens. In fact, the first living creature to reach space was a dog Soviet dog named Laika. While the Soviets knew how to get her into orbit, they didn't have the technologies or methods to bring her back, meaning it was a one-way trip. In 1961, the United States sent a chimpanzee named Ham into space and successfully brought him back. Decades later, U.S. Senator Mark Kelly managed to sneak a gorilla costume to his twin brother Scott on the International Space Station. From there, Scott chased around fellow astronauts in a viral video.
Sometimes things even end up launched into space by mistake. When the United States was conducting underground nuclear weapons tests in the 1950s, an iron cover was placed at the top of the 500 ft. deep hole where the bomb was detonated. The cover blew off and cameras measured its speed at 125,000 miles per hour. This likely provided enough force to send the cover into space.
With space tourism now a reality, expect more weird stuff to reach the final frontier in the years ahead. Currently, you'll need at least $250,000 to buy a ticket to space, but experts expect costs to come down over time.