10 Humorous Facts About NASA

These facts highlight the lighter side of NASA, showcasing that behind the serious business of space exploration, there’s room for humor, human error, and the occasional alligator:

1. The Janitor’s Grand Role: During a visit to NASA, President John F. Kennedy asked a janitor what he did there. The janitor, proudly sweeping his broom, replied, “I’m helping to put a man on the moon.” This story, while possibly apocryphal, underscores the idea that every role at NASA contributes to its grand mission.
2. Snoopy, the Safety Mascot: NASA chose Snoopy, the beloved Peanuts character, as their safety mascot. There’s even an award named the Silver Snoopy, given to employees for outstanding achievements related to human flight safety or mission success. Imagine getting an award featuring a cartoon beagle!
3. The Great Bean Ban: Legend has it that NASA banned beans from mission supplies because astronaut farts could be a fire hazard in the oxygen-rich environment of a spacecraft. While this might sound like a joke, the concern over gas in space is real, though perhaps not as dramatic.
4. Attach Here, Note: Black Side Down: On the more technical but amusing side, there’s a note on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft where the Space Shuttle attaches, humorously reminding engineers to attach the orbiter with the black heat tiles facing down.
5. The Moon Cheese Jokes: While moon landing conspiracy jokes are a no-go, NASA employees reportedly find moon cheese jokes hilarious. It seems even rocket scientists appreciate a good cheese pun.
6. NASA’s Alligator Problem: At Kennedy Space Center, alligators sometimes lounge on the runways, parking lots, etc.. It’s not every workplace where you might need to delay a meeting because an alligator decided it’s a good day for sunbathing.
7. The Super Soaker Inventor: Lonnie Johnson, a NASA scientist, invented the Super Soaker while working on a new type of cooling system. From space tech to summer fun, that’s quite the career pivot.
8. The $15,000 Bed Rest Study: NASA once paid people $15,000 to lie in bed for 90 days straight to study the effects of zero gravity on the human body. Sounds like a dream job until you realize you can’t get up at all.
9. The Accidental Overwrite: In a blunder that sounds too comedic to be true, NASA accidentally recorded over the original tapes of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Fortunately, other copies were found, but it’s a reminder that even space agencies have “oops” moments.
10. The Metric Mix-Up: In 1999, NASA lost a Mars orbiter because one team used metric units while another used imperial. This costly mix-up proves that even in space exploration, the devil is in the details—or in this case, the units.