Meirl
Wednesday, 12 Mar 2025
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They asked how many she would need. They didn’t know. They thought 100 was a good number to be safe. So, they asked her.
They also designed a custom make up case and Sally refused it because it was obviously unnecessary.
Every time this gets posted, someone has to explain how engineering works. I guess today that someone is me.
Nasa operates off of worst case scenarios, and then puts a substantial safety factor on top of that. So in this case, the likely worst case scenario for very heavy flow (and since they didn’t know the effect of being in space on periods, they have to assume the worst) say she would need 25 or so. So safety factor of 4, since tampons are very light, gets you to 100. And of course, this is likely not going to be the only woman to ever go up.
This should honestly go to r/agedlikemilk now that there’s been a woman stuck in space for eight months who was originally only supposed to be up there for a week.
To be fair, they were just trying to pad the numbers
That’s how you attract space sharks 🦈 👽 👾
Not stupid at all.
We really don’t know.
Wait, was it or wasn’t it?
Idk, I’m a woman and worry I’d pack like this. Like do I need ten pairs of underwear for a three day trip!? Yes, yes I do, mind your business, my anxiety isn’t harming you.
Depends which 7 days doesn’t it?
Honestly, I have no idea how many tampons a woman needs during her period (which is probably different for each woman anyway). Sure, 100 seems a bit exaggerated but better be safe than sorry
If you’re in zeroG or perpetual freefall orbit, your menstruation is not so much a flow as it is a coagulated blob that never wants to come out on its own.
100 is still an obtuse number by far, but it might actually require a lot more than normal.
Looking at sunita william being stuck, this is a valid question now.
Damned if you don’t, damned if you do, would you rather they sent her up with 7?
literally what? so everybody supposed to know how many tampons a woman needs or what
as a female, I think that’s unbelievably considerate.
and yes, it’s plenty. That is a very good number.
Most engineering schools don’t seem to cover menstruation. 🤷🏼♂️
Atleast they’re being considerate, and are trying. Also, if you know anything about engineering or spaceflight, you know that they plan for the absolute worst and then some. What if she get’s stranded for linger than 7 days? She’d need more tampons then
Imagine how dumb they would call NASA if she had to stay an extra 8 months because the return shuttle wasn’t safe, and she ran out. “How could they not think of this” “Why didn’t they plan for contingencies” “It will cost a billion dollars to send her more tampons, so wasteful”
You have to consider the risk of an extended mission as well as how bad life aboard the ISS would be if she ran out and how much it would cost to send a separate rocket to deliver more as well as how much it would cost to just send 100 initially. When you actually consider that stuff it is a no-brainier to send 100.
How’s that stupid
It’s not rocket science. Oh wait, it was literally rocket scientists
I mean…was it?
Well… was it enough?
It sounds silly but then again it also sounds silly to pack 5 pairs of underwear for an overnight stay and yet, here I am.
I was always taught, the only stupid question is the one you don’t ask.
As we have seen with the current astronauts thst are STILL in space. Things go wrong and it is good to have extra. I think people are blowing the idea of preparation out of proportion to try and dunk on NASA
Keep in mind this was the first time America sent a woman to space, we had no idea what zero g was going to to to the menstrual cycle. Better to be the Nasa guy who sent to many tampons, than the Nasa guy who didn’t send enough
Is it enough? How would they know if they don’t ask.
I mean it’s considerate.
Well if she couldn’t go back for some reason, it seems reasonable