# Did NASA really ask Sally Ride this question? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 21, 2016, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478 "2016-09-21T01:05:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478/61 "2016-09-21T23:49:08Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > No, they wouldn’t - what, you think the menstrual flow would just stay parked in her vagina? However, pads are more likely to leak under zero-g conditions if the woman’s undergarments are at all loose. They also take up more space. Tears just puddle in the eye socket, I would suggest the blood wouldn’t flow out the same way. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478/62 "2016-09-22T01:08:40Z")
When the blood “bubble” hits the pad it should be wicked into it. Normally you wear a pad very close to the body, pressing up against it so you _shouldn’t_ leak around it but it could happen. Tampons make a lot more sense in zero-g. And the menstrual flow will, in fact, flow even in zero-g because the vagina does have muscles that encourage it to flow. After all, it has to somehow get out of the uterus and far enough along to reach a tampon. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478/63 "2016-09-22T01:41:01Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > Periods vary between individuals though don’t they? Yes, but a heavy enough flow to need to change your tampon ~hourly (which is what we’re talking about\*) is not in the normal range. - 14 a day, assuming she wore one at night and didn’t wake to change, is about 1.2 hours per tampon. If she relied on just a pad at night, that brings it down to 1.1 hours. If she changed her tampons on the same schedule at night, that only brings it up to 1.7 hours per and really fucks up her sleeping. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478/64 "2016-09-22T02:17:29Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > Yes, but a heavy enough flow to need to change your tampon ~hourly (which is what we’re talking about\*) is not in the normal range. Sure, I wasn’t suggesting that 100 is the correct number. What I’m saying is that the best person to ask how many tampons to take is the person who will actually be using them. Biggirl was astounded that the engineers couldn’t have just asked a random women for the information instead of Sally Ride. I’m saying, Sally was the best person to ask because she’s the one using them. Another factor is that Sally Ride may well have been the women that the engineering team had the most contact with at the time and she was simply the most convenient person to ask the question of. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478/65 "2016-09-22T16:54:45Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > The way I read it, she’s saying that some female astronauts were supposed to determine how many tampons were required. That process consisted of them talking to some (almost certainly male) engineers, and the engineers posed the question to the astronauts. So you’re saying that they determined how many tampons were needed by speaking to some other people who then turned around and asked them what they needed? That’s a very weird process and a weird way to describe it. > [@](#): > > While it’s true that some astronauts have engineering backgrounds, when an astronaut refers to “the engineers”, she’s most likely referring to the people doing engineering work for the mission, who would certainly not be astronauts. I would not expect an astronaut to refer to fellow astronauts as “the engineers”. That’s exactly what I was thinking. AFAIK, Sally Ride was the only female astronaut on her mission. So for purposes of that specific mission, the other female astronauts she was referring to would have been filling engineering roles, not astronautic ones. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478/66 "2016-09-22T17:18:12Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > So you’re saying that they determined how many tampons were needed by speaking to some other people who then turned around and asked them what they needed? That’s a very weird process and a weird way to describe it. It’s a rather unclear way to describe it but the process doesn’t seem that weird. The engineers needed to know how many tampons were needed. Oh, they thought, there are some female astronauts here, we should ask them. So they did, and accepted their suggestions. Ride didn’t want to be bothered with this, so some other female astronauts were the primary sources for the engineers. Ride later described this by saying that the female astronauts “had the job” of deciding how many tampons would fly. [Here is the full transcript](http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/history/oral_histories/RideSK/RideSK_10-22-02.htm) of the interview with Ride where she said this. It’s clearer in context that the engineers were not the same people as the female astronauts: > [@](#): > > You can just imagine the discussions amongst the **predominantly male** engineers about what should go in a makeup kit. So they came to me, figuring that I could give them advice. It was about the last thing in the world that I wanted to be spending my time in training on. So I didn’t spend much time on it at all. But there were a couple of other female astronauts, who were given the job of determining what should go in the makeup kit, and how many tampons should fly as part of a flight kit. I remember the engineers trying to decide how many tampons should fly on a one-week flight; they asked, “Is 100 the right number?” > > “No. That would not be the right number.” > > They said, “Well, we want to be safe.” > > I said, “Well, you can cut that in half with no problem at all.” [Laughter] > > And there were probably some other, similar sorts of issues, just because they had never thought about what just kind of personal equipment a female astronaut would take. They knew that a man might want a shaving kit, but they didn’t know what a woman would carry. **Most of these were male engineers** , so this was totally new and different to them. My emphasis added. –Mark ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478/67 "2016-09-22T17:25:40Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > Ride didn’t want to be bothered with this, so some other female astronauts were the primary sources for the engineers. That doesn’t seem correct. Ride is pretty clear that she was interviewed and asked the tampon question. > [@](#): > > It’s clearer in context that the engineers were not the same people as the female astronauts: I don’t think anything about her description is particularly clear. But as I see it, the engineering group was “predominantly” and “most[ly]” but not exclusively male, and when left to whoever would naturally have had the role, they were completely clueless. As a result, it was delegated to the female members of that group, and even then there was considerable uncertainty which Ride found amusing. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478/68 "2016-09-22T18:44:11Z")
Yes, I am still incredulous that someone-- especially someone with knowledge in math-- would think that a woman would use 100 tampons in 7 days. _Really_? Do you know women? Have you seen a box of Tampons? Do they come in boxes of 100? Do you know of any woman who buys boxes of Tampons every day for a week? Did you not notice that even Sally Ride, who dealt with these men for quite some time, seemed incredulous that she was asked this question? If these engineers had any kind of relationship with women of childbearing age and thought that 100 tampons for 7 days was reasonable, then they need to go home and connect with the females in their families. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478/69 "2016-09-22T18:47:20Z")
Was it known with certainty that being in space wouldn’t have any impact in this regard? My guess is that there was thought to be some outside shot that it could change things, and depending on how cautious you wanted to be you might want to opt for a higher number. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478/70 "2016-09-22T19:03:02Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > Was it known with certainty that being in space wouldn’t have any impact in this regard? > > My guess is that there was thought to be some outside shot that it could change things, and depending on how cautious you wanted to be you might want to opt for a higher number. This may or may not be true. How would Sally Ride know? It’s not like was she an expert at space menstruation. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478/71 "2016-09-22T19:06:09Z")
Right. But it was probably a very low risk, and there was probably no known theoretical reason for anything to be different. Just that hey, you never know. So if you were the hypercautious type you went for more, just in case. In you weren’t you scoffed at that. The engineers left it to the actual person affected. Ride herself was not the hypercautious type, so she scoffed at it. That’s how it looks to me, without anyone being idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478/72 "2016-09-22T19:31:37Z")
> [@Doughbag](#): > > Eh, yes! > That’s like questioning the need for a toilet in zero-G!!! Just let it orbit you like a set of little brown moons. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478/73 "2016-09-22T19:45:10Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > If these engineers had any kind of relationship with women … Well, they were engineers. –Mark ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478/74 "2016-09-22T23:57:05Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > Was it known with certainty that being in space wouldn’t have any impact in this regard? > > My guess is that there was thought to be some outside shot that it could change things, and depending on how cautious you wanted to be you might want to opt for a higher number. Well, maybe it would have gone the other way and she’d need fewer? It’s not like there had been a lot of women in space at that time. Really, though, 100 tampons for one period is overkill. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478/75 "2016-09-23T00:17:30Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Really, though, 100 tampons for one period is overkill. I’m not doubting this, but remember the situation. You’re in a place where there is absolutely no way to get refills if you run out, there is a strictly limited supply of clothing available, there is no way to wash soiled clothes, and there are potentially dangerous consequences if even small amounts of blood leak out into the environment. Ok, even given those conditions, 100 is too many, but it’s not absurd. Engineers are trained to make sure that absolute worst case conditions are covered, especially when people’s lives are at stake, as they are here. Note that Sally Ride’s response was “you can cut that in half”. She didn’t say, that’s 5 or 10 times too much. A safety factor of 2 is not unreasonable for an engineer to consider. –Mark ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478/76 "2016-09-23T00:35:26Z")
I don’t get the people who don’t get the issue. It’s not that they asked her. It’s that they started with way too many in the first place. What’s ridiculous is that they didn’t seem to check with anyone who would know a reasonable to start with, before pitching that number to the astronaut. I find it incredulous that all you guys are saying you’d do this. The first thing I would do is go check with someone else or do research. By the time I asked the actual astronaut, I’d be sure I had about the right number. It would be a confirmation. Or, if, for some reason, I didn’t have time for that, I’d just ask her directly without making up a number that might make me look stupid. “We’re not familiar with tampon usage. About how many do you think you’d need, worst case scenario?” ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478/77 "2016-09-23T00:49:00Z")
As an engineer, when people’s lives are at stake, whether I look stupid asking a question is not even a remote concern of mine. And asking the customer what they need would be my FIRST choice. –Mark ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478/78 "2016-09-23T01:08:43Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > To be fair, as a male…as a male that grew up with a mom and two sisters then had a female roommate through college and lived with a girlfriend and (now ex) wife for 8 years after college I wouldn’t know that 100 is too many. Keeping in mind if you guess the wrong number there’s no running to Walmart at 3am. > I can honestly say I have no idea at all how many tampons a woman goes through while on her period. Sure, I could guess it’s less than a hundred, but again, 200 miles above Earth isn’t the place to run out. > > The makeup thing is funny though. Wonder if they asked her if she needed a cocktail dress and a vacuum too. Sure, but the correct answer isn’t to land on 100 and then confirm it. It’s to just ask, without proposing something else first. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478/79 "2016-09-23T01:12:21Z")
To me it was a silly question. It doesn’t mean the engineer was stupid, just that he didn’t think things out very well before asking. It makes for an amusing story because it confirms the stereotype of a male engineer. BTW, I assume that space on the Space Shuttle was at a premium. While it’s true that you wouldn’t want to run out of something critical, I’d think it would be impractical to do, say, a five times overstock on every critical item. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478/80 "2016-09-23T01:32:17Z")
Remember too that this is all based on Ride’s memory of a conversation that took place 20 years before she discussed it. I doubt she remembered and reported it verbatim exactly as it happened. The number 100 could have come up in a longer discussion that wouldn’t sound so silly in context. –Mark [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-nasa-really-ask-sally-ride-this-question/766478.md?page=5)