Clown to Spread Joy (and Terror) from Space
The International Space Station and its crew received a new crew member today. Sparkles the Clown arrived at the station along with enough supplies for five birthday parties for small children. Sparkles, whose real name has not been revealed by NASA, is scheduled to stay on the ISS for three months, spreading joy and happiness to the astronauts in the station as well as to children on Earth through remote video conferences. In a statement released after launch, Sparkles said that he is most interested in bringing laughter, surprise, and pure bliss to the crew and the children. He is also planning to work on new material for future performances from space. Zero-gravity and the small confines of the station will most likely be the clown’s biggest challenge as Sparkles is well-known for his juggling while riding a unicycle ability. Thankfully, there is plenty of room outside the station. The secrecy around Sparkles visit is puzzling. Ryanna Scott, the wife of Mission Specialist Tom Scott, warned NASA leadership that her husband suffers from coulrophobia, a fear of clowns, and looked forward to his time on the station to escape Earth-bound clowns. The space agency had no comment.