A sloth’s brief onscreen appearance delighted viewers who tuned in to watch the European Space Agency (
ESA) launch of a mission to Jupiter on Saturday, April 15.A two-second clip of the sloth appeared in a video report that detailed preparations for the launch of
JUICE — short for the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer — aboard the Ariane 5 rocket at the ESA’s spaceport in French Guiana.Dr. Nadia Drake of Quanta Magazine, who spotted the cameo and posted about it on Twitter, said: “Aside from the actual launch, this guy is definitely the star of @ESA’s
JUICE telecast.”Replying to Drake, the
ESA said: “Although we were focusing on a certain rocket and spacecraft, we tend to agree.”The
ESA also posted a screenshot of the sloth and, in photo credits below it, indicated that they had named the sloth Gérard. Credit:
ESA via Storyful