In what may go down as one of the most elaborate pranks in outer space, Crew-10 astronauts received a startling welcome by an ‘alien’ upon their arrival at the International Space Station, sources have confirmed.
Crew-9 commander Nick Hague donned an alien mask to greet the four newcomers after their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule successfully docked with the ISS, following a 29-hour journey from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
The prank, which momentarily convinced the arriving astronauts that they were about to make first contact, was conceived by Hague as a way to lighten the mood after a long and tense space journey. “We figured they’d either laugh or pass out,” Hague said, recalling the moment he surprised his colleagues with his extraterrestrial attire.
Video footage of the prank shows the Crew-10 members momentarily stunned, before breaking into laughter and relief upon realizing the alien was just their fellow astronaut in disguise. The incident quickly went viral, with space enthusiasts and conspiracy theorists alike buzzing over the interstellar joke.
As of press time, NASA was considering adding ‘prank management’ to its astronaut training program, while Hague has been unofficially nominated as the ‘Galactic King of Comedy.’
What an awesome prank!!