# Portrait of woman, in space **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 16, 2010, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrait-of-woman-in-space/560868 "2010-11-16T16:38:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrait-of-woman-in-space/560868/1 "2010-11-16T16:38:38Z")
I’m normally a fairly harsh critic of manned space exploration - I think it’s largely pointless, expensive, dangerous, and accomplishes no scientific goal that robotic exploration can’t do better, faster and cheaper. But I’ll be damned if this photograph isn’t one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen: [APOD: 2010 November 15 - Home from Above](http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap101115.html) It’s as if NASA invested billions upon billions of dollars in creating the perfect cover for one of David Weber’s pulp “Honor Harrington” Horatio-Hornblower-In-Space novels. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrait-of-woman-in-space/560868/2 "2010-11-16T16:51:59Z")
I was totally expecting her to be naked. And for it to look kind of like a naked skydiving picture. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrait-of-woman-in-space/560868/3 "2010-11-16T16:55:53Z")
I should also note, for the record, that the woman in the photograph bears a striking resemblence to Sigourney Weaver. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrait-of-woman-in-space/560868/4 "2010-11-16T17:35:41Z")
Darn fine photo, it is like the cover of a cheap science fiction novel. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrait-of-woman-in-space/560868/5 "2010-11-16T17:38:30Z")
It looks as if she’s leaning on the window, or resting on it. But she can’t be doing either in the sense we’re familiar with it, since she has to be in free fall orbit. Unless she’s bracing herself against it with her legs. Or she’s Velcro’d down. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrait-of-woman-in-space/560868/6 "2010-11-16T17:39:16Z")
I’m slightly perturbed by the object that looks like a hairy, dismembered man’s arm just below her right arm. What is that thing, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrait-of-woman-in-space/560868/7 "2010-11-16T17:40:54Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > It looks as if she’s leaning on the window, or resting on it. But she can’t be doing either in the sense we’re familiar with it, since she has to be in free fall orbit. Unless she’s bracing herself against it with her legs. Or she’s Velcro’d down. My first thought was, “Man, I wouldn’t _lean_ on the damn window!” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrait-of-woman-in-space/560868/8 "2010-11-16T17:41:38Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > I’m slightly perturbed by the object that looks like a hairy, dismembered man’s arm just below her right arm. What is that thing, anyway? A hairy, dismembered man’s arm. She’s now the only one left on the station… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrait-of-woman-in-space/560868/9 "2010-11-16T17:48:26Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > A hairy, dismembered man’s arm. She’s now the only one left on the station… Well, aside from the station’s cat, Jones. “The station will self-destruct in ten minutes …” ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrait-of-woman-in-space/560868/10 "2010-11-16T17:55:55Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > I’m slightly perturbed by the object that looks like a hairy, dismembered man’s arm just below her right arm. What is that thing, anyway? After examining the full-size image, I’d say it’s a pad. It’s held in place by a strap in the middle, and has white velcro strips on both ends. And here’s her pic without the hair of floating sky: > **[Johnson Space Center - NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/johnson/)** ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrait-of-woman-in-space/560868/11 "2010-11-16T18:09:41Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > I’m slightly perturbed by the object that looks like a hairy, dismembered man’s arm just below her right arm. What is that thing, anyway? Hmmm, it appears to be a bag and in it there’s latex gloves, a black wig, a BB pistol and ammunition, pepper spray, a hooded tan trench coat, a 2-pound drilling hammer, black gloves, rubber tubing, plastic garbage bags, about US$585 in cash, a computer, an 8-inch Gerber folding knife and several other items. You know… the usual. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrait-of-woman-in-space/560868/12 "2010-11-16T19:34:59Z")
Wow. Thank you for sharing that picture. She’s a “Dr.,” an astronaut, _and_ she sings in a band. And she’s cute! Dang. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrait-of-woman-in-space/560868/13 "2010-11-16T19:59:10Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > I was totally expecting her to be naked. And for it to look kind of like a naked skydiving picture. I’m glad I’m not the only one. Now _that_ would make a great spread. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrait-of-woman-in-space/560868/14 "2010-11-16T20:11:34Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > It looks as if she’s leaning on the window, or resting on it. But she can’t be doing either in the sense we’re familiar with it, since she has to be in free fall orbit. Unless she’s bracing herself against it with her legs. Or she’s Velcro’d down. It looks to me like she’s bracing herself against the window with her left arm and possibly legs. It also seems like the flesh on her face is “floating” a bit - we’re used to seeing people with gravity pulling on their faces, and this looks different to me - akin to a pic taken of someone hanging upside down. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrait-of-woman-in-space/560868/15 "2010-11-17T17:08:45Z")
We need more study on zero-g boobs. That will get NASA the funding it needs. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrait-of-woman-in-space/560868/16 "2010-11-17T17:17:05Z")
… to develop the Wanderbra®. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrait-of-woman-in-space/560868/17 "2010-11-17T21:10:28Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > She’s a “Dr.,” an astronaut, _and_ she sings in a band. And she’s cute! > > Dang. Yeah, but long-distance relationships are difficult. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrait-of-woman-in-space/560868/18 "2010-11-17T22:09:13Z")
This picture is my desktop background for the week, at least. I like having it where I can glance at it and be wowed all over again. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrait-of-woman-in-space/560868/19 "2010-11-17T22:53:08Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > I should also note, for the record, that the woman in the photograph bears a striking resemblence to Sigourney Weaver. I was just going to say… Ripley?