[Photo Credit to Pixabay]

Dolls are used in spacecraft to demonstrate weightlessness. Yuri Gagarin first carried it in 1961, and since then, spacecrafts have often included dolls of famous characters such as Buzz Lightyear. 

On November 19 in local time, SpaceX's large spacecraft Starship made its sixth test flight, where a yellow banana doll can be seen floating inside the spacecraft. 

Space X is Elon Musk's U.S. space exploration company which has developed projectiles, spaceships, and small satellites to launch them. 

What role does the doll play in the spacecraft? The doll indicates the gravity (E) of a spacecraft.

Gravity is the force that the Earth pulls on objects.  In space, there is no gravity,  causing everything to float up. 

When the doll floats in the air, it signals that the spacecraft is in a state of no gravity.

So, why use a doll for this purpose? Dolls  are light and soft.

There are many machines and switches inside the spacecraft. If the machine breaks down due to incorrectly pressing the switch or an impact, the spacecraft inside can become dangerous. 

A doll poses no such risks no matter where it hits. This isn't the first time a doll has been loaded on a spacecraft.

This tradition  dates back to when Yuri Gagarin, the first astronaut, took a small doll to the spaceship in 1961, and since then, many dolls have been on board. Snoopy is the most visited character in space. 

Snoopy is known for being the most-traveled  character in space. Since his first trip in 1990, Snoopy has been aboard three different spacecraft.

His first mission was aboard the Columbia shuttle, and then in 2019, he joined the crew on Starliner, a spacecraft developed by Boeing. 

Snoopy’s trips into space were not just for fun—he has served  as a symbol to promote space safety and exploration, often as part of NASA’s educational programs for children.

Snoopy’s trips are a great reminder that space travel can inspire curiosity and creativity in people of all ages.

In 2012, the Russian spacecraft Soyuz rode a teddy bear named Smokey Bear, a long-standing  figure in a U.S. wildfire prevention advertisement for a long time.

Launched in 2014, Soyuz was accompanied by Olaf from the movie Frozen. 

The daughter of a Russian cosmonaut gave the doll as a gift for her father to return safely.

2020's Ridgians featured the Baby Yoda doll from Star Wars. SpaceX's Crudragons also featured the doll from the SpaceX spacecraft Crew Dragon. 

Other notable dolls include the Earth-shaped doll that was released in 2019 and the dinosaur doll 'Tremé' was released in 2020.

Beyond its role in teaching gravity, there are humans who were also on board for other missions.

In 2008, the shuttle Discovery flew aboard the movie Buzz Lightyear. Buzz went to the space station to make children interested in space science.

As space exploration continues to advance, these seemingly simple objects serve as reminders of the human and cultural connections  grounding these extraordinary journeys.

Whether to teach, inspire, or symbolize safety and hope, dolls have become small yet meaningful companions in the vastness of space.