Space Squid



Celestial Squid

As a follow up to my post last week on all the many animals that have entered risky government service (except for cats -- but, as you can see from the comments, I sort of got raked over the coals for pointing out that inconvenient truth), I need to add one more to the roster: Squids.

When the Endeavour shuttle blasts off next week it will carry the first ever crew of squid to explore outer space. Though they are just babies, these intrepid mollusks will risk their squishy selves to push the boundries of arcane space knowlege.



Scooby in a rage over her rejection
by NASA

 My normally sedentary cat Scooby volunteered for this mission because, as she put it, "I gotz de' warm, friendly spotz in my stomach for de' squidz." However NASA rejected her application because their tests ostensibly showed she had, "...partaken a bit too freely of Little Friskies over the years."

We wish these brave, gelatinous spacefarers well, and hope this mission will open the door to more opportunities as squids take their rightful place with dogs, fruit flies, and monkeys in performing dangerous, peculiar jobs dreamed up by humans.