Dinosaur toys and golf clubs: the strange things astronauts take to the moon

The personal items that Neil, Buzz and others carried with them – and left up there

Beyond the usual travel essentials, any keepsakes, charms and totems we take with us on our journeys say a lot about our inner worlds. The faithful may carry a crucifix, a rosary or the Qur’an; superstitious sailors still carry amulets to ensure a “smooth voyage”; soldiers treasure pictures of their sweethearts. Before photography they would carry a lock of their loved one’s hair. 

When the two crew members of the SpaceX Falcon 9 set off on their historic space journey last week, their totem was a toy dinosaur, taken on the behest of their sons. During the Apollo missions to the moon, the personal items astronauts could take were restricted: each had just a small “personal allowance pouch”.