--- title: "Strange Creature Appears at Historic Rocket Launch" description: "As the European Space Agency was setting up to launch a rocket in French Guiana, an adorable little creature could be seen enjoying some rays of sunshine." date: "2023-04-14" modified: "2023-04-14" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/strange-creature-juice" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "ESA" - "juice" - "the digest" --- # Strange Creature Appears at Historic Rocket Launch ![As the European Space Agency was setting up to launch a rocket in French Guiana, an adorable little creature could be seen enjoying some rays of sunshine.]() *\Image: Arianespace\* ## Star of the Show As the European Space Agency was setting up to launch a massive Ariane 5 rocket from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana, an adorable little creature could be seen enjoying some rays of sunshine not far from the rocket — before all hell broke loose, that is. The rocket [launched earlier today](), carrying the ESA's JUICE spacecraft, which is destined for Jupiter's moons, into orbit. But as scientists were busy getting the spacecraft ready for primetime, the [official stream]() of the launch cut to an adorable little sloth, sheepishly mugging for the camera. The charming moment, which lasted only a few seconds, drew the attention of curious onlookers on social media. "Aside from the actual launch, this guy is definitely the star of ESA's JUICE telecast," *Quantum Magazine*'s Nadia Drake [tweeted](). "Although we were focusing on a certain rocket and spacecraft, we tend to agree," the ESA [replied]() with a wink emoji. https://twitter.com/nadiamdrake/status/1646852297950138369 ## Sloth Time While it's unclear when the footage was taken — the rocket can still be seen inside the hangar in the background — we hope the little guy was taken to a safe location before the ESA lit the candle. It's not too surprising to see such a mammal make an appearance near the Guiana Space Center. Sloths can be found across Central and the northern half of South America. They're also extremely vulnerable to deforestation. Two of the planet's six species of sloths are on the [International Union for Conservation of Nature's redlist]() of endangered species. Despite their lazy demeanor, they can [slash with their long claws and bite]() to defend themselves from predators. They also tend to prefer spending time on trees and only rarely come down, making this visit even more blessed. This particular specimen wisely took some time to bask in the sunlight before things got loud and deeply unpleasant. "I, for one, welcome our new space sloth overlords," *SpaceNews* senior writer Jeff Foust [wrote](). **More on the launch:** *[Scientists Launch JUICE Mission to Distant Worlds]()* ## 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]()