Ann Friedman, in her profile of Ride, shed light on how little male scientists understood the needs of female astronauts at the time. She recounted that the tampons were actually strung together, sausage-link style, to prevent them from floating around in zero gravity. Engineers even asked Ride if 100 tampons would be “the right number” for her seven-day trip. Her dry response? "That would not be the right number." The engineers, determined to err on the side of caution, made the bizarre overestimate. While it’s easy to laugh at their lack of basic biology knowledge, it’s also a reminder of the hurdles Ride faced as a pioneer breaking into a male-dominated field.
NASA sent a woman astronaut on an expedition that lasted 7 days, they gave her 100 tampons
When asked if 100 tampons was correct, Sally Ride replied, 'That would not be the right number.'
If you were scrolling through social media in late 2020, you might have stumbled across Christa B. Allen’s hilarious Instagram Reel where she sang about the infamous "100 tampons" incident. "Remember when NASA sent a woman to space for just six days and equipped her with 100 tampons?" she belts out in the song, originally penned by comedian Marcia Belsky. The catchy tune gained traction because it’s based on a wild but true story. When NASA prepared to send Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, on a weeklong mission, they packed her with—yes—100 tampons, as reported by Vox.
will that be enough? 🤔 100 Tampons by @MarciaBelsky pic.twitter.com/1UlPIDyHCr
— Christa B. Allen (@ChristaAllen) December 1, 2020
Furthermore, it highlights the need for equitable gender representation in all fields, particularly STEM. This misunderstanding about menstruation by some of the nation's brightest minds underscores the need for inclusivity in decision-making roles. This incident starkly highlights the dire state of fact-based biology and sex education in the United States. 100 tampons? Really, NASA?
Now, some folks have argued that Ride's expedition took place in 1983, when "gender budgeting" was not really a concept in STEM. However, even if 1983 seems like a really long time ago, we definitely had more information about how long menstrual cycles lasted back then. For those unaware, a menstruator's period will last typically anywhere from two to eight days. During this time, it is recommended to change tampons every four to eight hours. So, by simple math, that means the most the average menstruator will need is a little over 40 tampons. Well, we're glad Sally Ride was equipped with enough tampons to last her almost three months for a week-long trip.
Fortunately, signs of progress are evident. An unprecedented number of women astronauts now contribute to NASA's missions. Although women constitute just a third of NASA's workforce, this figure is poised to grow as more young girls are encouraged to pursue STEM.. In the meantime, we can all listen to Belsky's comical tune about Ride's 100 tampons. Sing along with us, won't you? "And they asked, 'Will that be enough?' 'Cause they didn't know if that was enough... These are our nation's greatest minds..."
This article originally appeared 3 years ago.
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