--- title: "Astronaut Says First Gorilla Suit He Tried to Smuggle Into Space Blew Up in Fiery Explosion" description: "The first gorilla suit Mark Kelly sent his twin in space exploded in 2015 when a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was lost in a massive fireball." date: "2022-01-18" modified: "2022-01-18" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/gorilla-suit-astronaut-explosion" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "international space station" - "iss" - "Scott Kelly" - "the digest" --- # Astronaut Says First Gorilla Suit He Tried to Smuggle Into Space Blew Up in Fiery Explosion ![The first gorilla suit Mark Kelly sent his twin in space exploded in 2015 when a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was lost in a massive fireball.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Space Smuggling Plenty of things have been smuggled to the International Space Station, from [booze and cigarettes]() to the [cremated remains]() of "Stark Trek" actor James Doohan. But when retired NASA astronaut Mark Kelly — who was [elected to the US senate]() in 2020 — attempted to send a full-body gorilla suit to his identical twin brother Scott, who was stationed on board the ISS at the time, thinks didn't go as planned, [*People* reports](). Specifically, the suit exploded dramatically in 2015 when a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was [lost in a massive fireball](). But the Kelly brothers were tenacious. "The next time I was on the phone with my brother, he goes, 'I'm sending you another gorilla suit,'" Scott told *People*. ## Scaring Astronauts The shenanigans culminated in a [now-legendary 2016 video]() in which Scott Kelly can be seen emerging from a white bag and proceeding to zoom around the tight confines of the orbital outpost while wearing the suit. He even chased British astronaut Tim Peake around the station. It's no wonder the video went viral. "Of course people liked it. How can you not like space gorilla?" Scott told *People*. Scott later admitted that Peake was in on the video and it was "all staged." Other astronauts, however, were caught unawares. "I floated down to the Russian segment," Scott added. "When they saw it, they were just laughing like you wouldn't believe." "It was the end of my year in space," Scott told the magazine. "So you need a little humor." **READ MORE:** [Astronaut Scott Kelly Reveals Real Story Behind Video of Him in Gorilla Suit Aboard Space Station]() \[*People*\] **More on the Kellys:** *[Veteran NASA Astronaut Elected to US Senate]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()