There's Cheese In Space, And It's Not The Moon

[Elizabeth Grunewald]

There's Cheese In Space, And It's Not The Moon

A large wheel of cheese was a secret stowaway on the first commercial spacecraft recovered from orbiting the Earth.

The SpaceX Dragon, a commercial spacecraft launched into low-grade orbit this week for about three hours, was carrying more than dreams of commercial spaceflight: It was carrying a huge wheel of cheese. The round of Le Brouere was bolted to the floor, and arrived home safe and tasty after the capsule's successful splashdown in the Atlantic.

Elon Musk, SpaceX's co-founder, suggested that the curdy cargo was a tribute to Monty Python, particularly the troupe's famous "Cheese Shop" sketch. The gesture retroactively makes the sketch somehow funnier, in that now even commercial spacecraft has cheese, but the cheese shop still has none. CNN quotes SpaceX spokeswoman Kirstin Brost as saying the cheese is doing well, and is "basking in the glow of being the first cheese to travel to orbit on a commercial spacecraft."

The cheese-carrying flight was the first under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services, which exists to facilitate the transport of commercial supplies to the international space station. Supplies like cheese, one hopes.

Source: CNN [http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/12/09/spacex.mystery.cargo/index.html?hpt=C2]

Image: Chris Thompson, VP Development Operations, SpaceX [http://www.spacex.com/]

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[Dr. Paine]

Wonder how much it costs to get a piece of the first space cheese...

 

[Octorok]

Wonder how much it costs to get a piece of the first space cheese...

I think the term "space cheese" being used in good context for once was so awesome, that I think I just grew a beard of AWESOME.

OT : SPACE CHEESE. That, as they say, is all.

 

[Waif]

I'm not sure why exactly, but this seems kinda epic in a way, lol! Though still, the question remains. What kind of cheese was it?

 

[Shoggoth2588]

It is only a matter of time before that cheese does reach the moon. If not that wheel than a similar one. I'll save up my money and wait for the Lunar Cheese.

 

[Dr. Paine]

I'm not sure why exactly, but this seems kinda epic in a way, lol! Though still, the question remains. What kind of cheese was it?

Another good question. If it's a type that can be made into cheesecake, I'd love to have a piece made into cheesecake. Then send that cheesecake into space.

So long as we keep Branston Pickle away from it, the universe should remain intact, but heads might explode upon eating it.

 

[Waif]

I'm not sure why exactly, but this seems kinda epic in a way, lol! Though still, the question remains. What kind of cheese was it?

Another good question. If it's a type that can be made into cheesecake, I'd love to have a piece made into cheesecake. Then send that cheesecake into space.

So long as we keep Branston Pickle away from it, the universe should remain intact, but heads might explode upon eating it.

I do concur ^~^! I too am a fan of cheesecake, and would love to partake in the delicacy of Space Cheesecake. I also see that you watch ZP as well, lol!

 

[Choppaduel]

articles like this make day.

Escapist needs more irreverent articles!

 

[Dr. Paine]

I'm not sure why exactly, but this seems kinda epic in a way, lol! Though still, the question remains. What kind of cheese was it?

Another good question. If it's a type that can be made into cheesecake, I'd love to have a piece made into cheesecake. Then send that cheesecake into space.

So long as we keep Branston Pickle away from it, the universe should remain intact, but heads might explode upon eating it.

I do concur ^~^! I too am a fan of cheesecake, and would love to partake in the delicacy of Space Cheesecake. I also see that you watch ZP as well, lol!

Indeed. ... and we're obviously both blind, the OP states it was a wheel of Le Brouere.

ETA: After re-reading this article for the fourth time, it is of my opinion that there is nothing not awesome in it. Cheese has made it to space, aboard the SpaceX Dragon. As we all know, the inclusion of 'space', 'dragon' and 'X' make anything ten times better, so this has now become thirty times as awesome as it was from the start.

This was also done for the sake of a comedy sketch, and since Monty Python is quite popular (personally, I have never watched it), that only adds to it. The only way it could be better is if they had also launched some bacon and hamburger patties with it. Or just stuck in a whole bacon cheeseburger from the start.

 

[Palademon]

With that we could make a cheese samwich of the Gods!

 

[Waif]

I'm not sure why exactly, but this seems kinda epic in a way, lol! Though still, the question remains. What kind of cheese was it?

Another good question. If it's a type that can be made into cheesecake, I'd love to have a piece made into cheesecake. Then send that cheesecake into space.

So long as we keep Branston Pickle away from it, the universe should remain intact, but heads might explode upon eating it.

I do concur ^~^! I too am a fan of cheesecake, and would love to partake in the delicacy of Space Cheesecake. I also see that you watch ZP as well, lol!

Indeed. ... and we're obviously both blind, the OP states it was a wheel of Le Brouere.

My word! I do believe you to be accurate in your assessment! I don't even recall seeing that in the article, perhaps this is part of some nefarious plan? I sure think so ^~^!

 

[Orcus The Ultimate]

that's why Wallace wanted to go to the Moon ! Cheese is the fuel of Life !

 

[_Janny_]

Space cheese? I love the ring to it. Sounds very futuristic.

With that we could make a cheese samwich of the Gods!

If we'd have a comment of the week or something I'd totally nominate this post.

 

[zHellas]

...I wonder if it's good or not.

 

[Saltyk]

So, I guess we'll never get to eat that cheese. It's probably going to be on display in some "Commercial Space Flight Museum". Yeah, that may sound funny, but consider that they took cheese into space as a joke in the first place.

 

[similar.squirrel]

Why can't I think of a pun?

 

[Buizel91]

This is the cheesiest article i have ever read on the Escapist. Sorry couldn't resist XD

But anyway...

SPACE CHEESE!

 

[V161]

...And nobody cracked that thing open. They were in orbit for three hours! Damn I hungry! And why is there no mention of any wine to accompany this lonely fromage! A faux pas I call! Damn I'm cosmopolitan...

 

[darthrex354]

shockingly no one has referenced tvtropes yet so CHEESE IN SPAAAACE!
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ptitlekt6mtovm4vne
your day is now a complete loss mwah ha ha haha