Sling Pod
A Sling Pod is a rather silly alternative to a Boost Star that gets Mario around in some areas of Super Mario Galaxy. Sling Pods are first seen in the pathway to Tarantox in the Space Junk Galaxy.
Sling Pods are sticky rubbery white wobbly poles with a soft spiky orb on top of them that Mario and Toads can easily get stuck in. When there are no Boost Stars, there will probably be Sling Pods, if not Float Stars.
To use a Sling Pod, Mario must jump into the sticky orb on the top, get stuck in it, then with the Star Cursor, the player must grab onto the wobbly thing and hold the button down, dragging it far to the side, then letting it go. The Sling Pod will send Mario flying out of it wherever it was aiming for, then wobble a bunch.
Mario often has to help Cosmic Toads get free from Sling Pods by wobbling them back and forth, then flinging the Toads off out of them to safety.
Look-a-Likes
The Sticky Planet looks almost exactly like the top of a Sling Pod, before it is shattered. (Using a Sling Pod to shatter it.)