Astronauts Played Tetris and StarCraft in Actual Space

Imagine being 250 miles above Earth, floating in a metal tube hurtling through space at 17,500 miles per hour, and deciding the best way to unwind is playing Tetris. That's exactly what Russian cosmonaut Aleksander Serebrov did in 1993, becoming the first person to play video games in space.

Between setting world records for spacewalks aboard the Mir station, Serebrov spent his rare leisure moments with his Game Boy and a copy of Tetris. The irony is beautiful: a Russian cosmonaut playing a Russian puzzle game on a Japanese console in Russian space. That historic Game Boy sold at auction in 2011 for $1,220.

Five years later, American astronaut Andy Thomas brought something completely different to Mir: a PC game called "Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time." The game lived up to its name, but it earned its place in history as the second video game played beyond Earth.

Things got more interesting in 1999 when astronaut Daniel Barry brought StarCraft to the brand new International Space Station. Barry was a huge fan of the sci-fi strategy game and used to play with his partner and daughter back home. While he never actually got to play during his 30-day mission, bringing that connection to orbit mattered to him.

The Bright Side

Space agencies have come to recognize that astronauts need downtime, even when every minute in orbit costs taxpayers money. In 2005, astronaut John L. Phillips confirmed to President Barack Obama and a group of curious schoolkids that he'd brought a PC and games with him during his six-month ISS mission. Gaming wasn't wasting time; it was maintaining mental health during one of humanity's most demanding jobs.

By 2016, gaming in space entered the future. Astronaut Scott Kelly tested Microsoft's HoloLens augmented reality goggles aboard the ISS. While the technology was primarily for helping crews complete technical procedures, Kelly and fellow astronaut Tim Peake found time to blast virtual aliens with finger lasers. Space invaders in actual space.

These stories reveal something wonderful about human nature: no matter how far we travel or how challenging our work becomes, we carry play with us. Whether it's arranging falling blocks, commanding alien armies, or shooting virtual invaders, these moments of joy make the impossible possible.