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soothsayer

(38,601 posts)
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 11:37 AM Nov 2020

@NASA apparently asked Sally Ride, the first woman in space, if ONE HUNDRED tampons would be enough


?s=21


Raven the Science Maven
@ravenscimaven
Lmao @NASA apparently asked Sally Ride, the first woman in space, if ONE HUNDRED tampons would be enough for a week in space and if she needed more 😭😭 they actually didn’t know how many tampons women used.
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@NASA apparently asked Sally Ride, the first woman in space, if ONE HUNDRED tampons would be enough (Original Post) soothsayer Nov 2020 OP
Well, at least they asked... Wounded Bear Nov 2020 #1
I guess you don't need to be a rocket scientist to understand such things soothsayer Nov 2020 #4
At least the guess was high rather than low. patricia92243 Nov 2020 #2
Unfortunately, she passed away at 61, but she was a pioneer without a doubt still_one Nov 2020 #3
I'm not surprised. Most men have no idea MineralMan Nov 2020 #5
Also got good early instruction PufPuf23 Nov 2020 #17
I don't know if the tweet is even true!! LeftInTX Nov 2020 #18
I had a mother, sisters, a wife and a daughter Chainfire Nov 2020 #6
That's funny Midnightwalk Nov 2020 #7
They were probably more concerned with disposal of used ones than the weight of the supply Klaralven Nov 2020 #11
I'm sure they brought them back Midnightwalk Nov 2020 #12
Actually the weight to cross section area of a used tampon is small enough to deorbit fairly quickly Klaralven Nov 2020 #14
EeeeYuuu Disaffected Nov 2020 #15
Is not a single one of the NASA scientists married to or co-habitating with a woman? Sanity Claws Nov 2020 #8
zero gravity Maru Kitteh Nov 2020 #9
Hadn't thought of that Sanity Claws Nov 2020 #10
Get thee to a remedial course in female anatomy. procon Nov 2020 #13
The bowels don't work very well. LeftInTX Nov 2020 #19
Sorry to hear that. Lots of people say more fiber helps. nt procon Nov 2020 #21
Lol!!!!! LeftInTX Nov 2020 #22
Why on earth wouldn't a female astronaut be on a contraceptive to stop periods? unitedwethrive Nov 2020 #16
that is exactly what I thought Skittles Nov 2020 #23
As a man, I don't have a clue how many would be used regularly. LiberalFighter Nov 2020 #20
I would think the "drama" of being in space would suppress it LeftInTX Nov 2020 #24

soothsayer

(38,601 posts)
4. I guess you don't need to be a rocket scientist to understand such things
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 11:42 AM
Nov 2020

And it helps if you’re not?

MineralMan

(146,192 posts)
5. I'm not surprised. Most men have no idea
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 11:44 AM
Nov 2020

about anything menstrual. It's apparently a taboo subject.

I was lucky. My early 60s high school girlfriend educated me thoroughly about menstruation. She was very frank and thought I should understand it thoroughly.

PufPuf23

(8,688 posts)
17. Also got good early instruction
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 02:28 PM
Nov 2020

Not yet to university age 19 but with plans but working in home town with USFS in 1972. USFS was forced to by the court to hire women into jobs that were unconventional for woman in the agency and also because of changes in laws to hire a broader range of specialists. So the USFS hired a woman 7 years older with a Masters degree and we met and lived togther in my home town or Berkeley until 1977. We had our differences about how life woulld playout and I matured and left her.

So I learned much. When we moved in together, she provided a book Our Bodies, Ourselves that was relatively new then but became a classic useful for many.

LeftInTX

(24,554 posts)
18. I don't know if the tweet is even true!!
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 02:36 PM
Nov 2020

Sally is long gone.

The majority of NASA people were married. They knew their wives habits.

Chainfire

(17,308 posts)
6. I had a mother, sisters, a wife and a daughter
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 11:51 AM
Nov 2020

And I would have no clue how many would be required. I never thought to ask.

Midnightwalk

(3,131 posts)
7. That's funny
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 11:58 AM
Nov 2020

As a geek I can imagine the thought process.

Let’s assume 1Kg weight allowance. Google how much one tampon weighs. Hmm. The results talk about absorbency not initial weight. Hmmm. Lets assume 10g per. That’s 100.

Then the panic sets in. Just how exactly do they work? Once an hour? Over 4 days 100 wouldn’t be enough. Who can we ask? I know, let’s ask Sally Ride.

That’s a statement on how few women were on the teams when they were figuring this out.

To be honest I have no idea how many are needed, but I know from buying them 100 is plenty. I could ask my wife for a more accurate number but she already thinks I’m a nut and that would be taken as confirmation.

 

Klaralven

(7,510 posts)
11. They were probably more concerned with disposal of used ones than the weight of the supply
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 12:42 PM
Nov 2020

Is there and airlock for ejecting them into space?

Are the used ones in orbit still?

Midnightwalk

(3,131 posts)
12. I'm sure they brought them back
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 01:00 PM
Nov 2020

I wondered about that too and guessed they brought them back. You don’t want solid waste at that speed cluttering up orbit. This time google was more help.

The toilet used on the Space Shuttle is called the Waste Collection System (WCS). In addition to air flow, it also uses rotating fans to distribute solid waste for in-flight storage. Solid waste is distributed in a cylindrical container which is then exposed to vacuum to dry the waste.


I’m guessing waste doesn’t matter in terms of weight. It’s a closed system so the mass can only decrease (propellent use, leakage, any other dumps) not increase.

Still there might be some aspiring b-movie writer who is imagining what radiation might do. I hope they give up the plot.
 

Klaralven

(7,510 posts)
14. Actually the weight to cross section area of a used tampon is small enough to deorbit fairly quickly
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 02:06 PM
Nov 2020

Sanity Claws

(21,822 posts)
8. Is not a single one of the NASA scientists married to or co-habitating with a woman?
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 12:05 PM
Nov 2020

Just look in a bathroom closet and see how many are in a package.
Did they follow up with questions about mini-pads for low flow days?

Sanity Claws

(21,822 posts)
10. Hadn't thought of that
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 12:32 PM
Nov 2020

Does a woman have menstrual flow in zero gravity?

But even if she doesn't, she would need tampons for take off and re-entry, when they are not in zero gravity.

procon

(15,805 posts)
13. Get thee to a remedial course in female anatomy.
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 02:02 PM
Nov 2020

Seriously, normal bodily functions still goes on. Your heart keeps pumping blood, lungs, kidneys and liver do their thing. The bowels and bladder work, and the uterus continues its monthly housecleaning.

What did you think happens?

unitedwethrive

(1,997 posts)
16. Why on earth wouldn't a female astronaut be on a contraceptive to stop periods?
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 02:13 PM
Nov 2020

Female dancers, athletes and performers do it all the time. Heck, I’m a pediatrician and I get asked regularly by teenagers how to avoid having a period at summer camp, or during an upcoming soccer tournament, or for prom. It’s not that hard, particularly since most teens are already on oral contraceptives these days.

Skittles

(152,964 posts)
23. that is exactly what I thought
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 04:06 PM
Nov 2020

I had read a long time ago about women who were able to delay a period for a wedding, for example

it does seem odd

LiberalFighter

(50,504 posts)
20. As a man, I don't have a clue how many would be used regularly.
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 02:49 PM
Nov 2020

As a young man living with parents and 3 sisters. I still did not know. I knew they used them because they were in the bathroom. But that was as far as it went.

LeftInTX

(24,554 posts)
24. I would think the "drama" of being in space would suppress it
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 04:20 PM
Nov 2020

My mom told me that many women didn't get their periods on their wedding week. (Don't know if this was true..lol)

My grandmother was in the Armenian Genocide. She was 12 years old and was marched from Central Turkey to Syria on foot. When she finally reunited with her friends, they all marveled that NONE of them had their periods during the ordeal. They had lost numerous family members, they had seen people die, some had been raped and many were facing serious health problems themselves, (my grandmother lost an eye) but lack of periods was the big news.

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