Astronaut Owen Garriott, known for his sharp intellect and dry sense of humor, pulled off one of the most legendary pranks in space history during the Skylab 3 mission in 1973. In an era when communication between astronauts and Mission Control was tightly scripted and highly controlled, Garriott managed to sneak a little bit of home into orbit—literally.

The best part? Garriott kept the full details of the prank a secret for over 20 years, never revealing exactly how he managed to pull it off. The stunt remains one of the most memorable—and endearing—moments of astronaut mischief, a reminder that even in the vast seriousness of space exploration, there’s still room for a well-played joke.

Unbeknownst to NASA, he had secretly smuggled aboard a cassette tape recording of his wife, Helen, speaking as if she were onboard the station. At just the right moment, Garriott played the recording over the comms, making it sound as though his wife had somehow made her way into space to deliver home-cooked food. Mission Control was momentarily stunned—confused and even a little alarmed. After all, the idea that someone could have somehow joined the crew in space without NASA’s knowledge was, of course, impossible… or was it?