NASA scientists carve out-of-this-world pumpkins [video]

NASA engineers faced a critical challenge in October. Their mission? To bring home the trophy at NASA’s annual pumpkin-carving contest with the weirdest, most high-tech design.

These scientists, who typically work on spacecraft at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, had just an hour to open a pumpkin, scoop out the seeds and design and display their Halloween creations.

Beam me up!

Is anything safe from one team’s silver-colored UFO pumpkin?

Through the wormhole

Nothing, not even candy, can escape the irresistible black hole (which is a pumpkin):

Not in the mood

Amid the festivities, this robot pumpkin declined to participate: Watch what happens after someone flicks the switch:

Check out more out-of-this-world designs from the Jet Propulsion Lab on Flickr and maybe get some ideas for your own space pumpkin.