Original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles artwork was launched into space as part of a new recycling device for the International Space Station. Drawn by TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman, this artwork depicts The Shredder, archenemy of the Turtles.
This recycling device has a shredder of its own, which grinds and shreds plastic before it is repurposed. Eastman reports in his blog post about the artwork that "From the start the team has been calling this subsystem the 'Oroku Saki,' aka The Shredder!"
Eastman first drew the artwork of the TMNT villain on metal, which was then approved for space flight. His piece was attached to the recycling device, which was launched into space on Nov. 2.
A video that Eastman shared in his blog describes how this device recycles plastic waste, such as bags or bubble wrap, making it into manufacturing feedstock for other International Space Station machines.
Created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, The Shredder debuted in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1, which was released in 1984. Having appeared in various TMNT comics, movies and television shows, the last issue of the comic series in which he stars, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder in Hell #5, is scheduled to be released by IDW on Nov. 27, 2019.